Lost In A Memory
by TheSoundofMusic
Summary: He never thought she'd forget him; he certainly couldn't forget her. Seven years after departing, Haku promised Chihiro they'd meet again; far more than that, he'd vowed to himself he'd stand by her side again no matter what. But what do you do, when the one person you could never forget seems to have forgotten you?
1. Prolouge

_**Prologue**_

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The room was dank and cold, and what little light that illuminated the desk came from a small lamp in the corner. The fireplace roared, but nevertheless the room remained tainted with a chilling feeling that would have had a lesser man trembling.

But then again, Haku was not a man. No, he was far more powerful than that…which is what disgusted him. He'd submitted to the witch once more, but his seven years were finally up; now he could take his hard earned reward and leave, free to do what he pleased.

Even though seven years earlier, he had assumed the same thing.

In the midst of the thick silence, he coughed and narrowed his eyes at the crone who sat at her desk, her long nails rifling endlessly through the thick stack of paper which lay before her.

"Why do you keep me waiting?"

"Silence, Haku. All in good time."

Grinding his teeth, he strode forward and slammed his hands on the desk, causing the witch to look up at him and glare. Ignoring her angry look, he spoke back to her with a curt tone.

"No. I've been waiting seven years for this. Do not make me wait any longer than I have to."

The witch cackled to herself and sat back, eyeing the sturdy young man.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You won't get a second chance if you mess this one up, you know."

"That's of no concern to you. Give me what I am due, now."

The old crone pursed her lips before standing up and going over to a chest in the corner of the room, pulling out a small box and handing it to him.

Haku opened it just a crack, before a smile spread over his features and he bowed one last time to his former master.

Without so much as a good-bye, he ran out and let the door slam behind him. The witch just shook her head and made her way back to her desk, drumming her incredibly long fingernails on the wood as she thought aloud, smiling maliciously to herself.

"Foolish boy."


	2. Chapter 1

As the alarm rang incessantly, Chihiro groaned before rolling over to hit the off button. She missed it the first time, and ended up tumbling to the floor in a flurry of covers and pillows. The alarm kept ringing, and she finally shut it off with a harsh smack as she stood up and stretched, noting that her camisole was starting to tear ever so slightly.

With a shrug, she walked out of her room and down the hallway to the shower, letting the cool water run over her face before it fully heated up. As the water reached a warmer temperature, she slipped out of her pajamas and got in, soaking herself as she woke up.

The water poured over her and she shook her head, trying to recall her dream but finding herself unable to.

"Tch," she made a noise as she exited the shower and headed back towards her room, bypassing the small dark notebook which lay on her desk.

"Seems I won't have anything to write again."

Breakfast was taken in the usual manner; food prepared the night before was snatched from her fridge as she ran to the door, where she could hear her friends calling out to her from the street.

"Chihiro, hurry up!" her friend waved, as Chihiro walked out of the house with a loaf of bread hanging out of her mouth. Cheerfully, she waved back before turning around and locking the door. Setting the key around her neck, she ran over to greet her friend, and as the two walked towards the school she set about fixing her hair in its usual ponytail.

"Oh come on, Chihiro, don't tell me you're wearing that same hairstyle again?"

Chihiro jostled her friend playfully as she gathered the strands of her brown hair into a ponytail, before securing it with a shiny hair tie; her favorite, and only accessory it seemed.

"I'm just trying to keep my hair out of my face, I'm not going to school to attract any boys," she teased back, and her friend pouted at her before elbowing her and winking.

"You've never been interested in boys, even when you first moved here! Don't tell me you're planning on being a nun or something, are you?"

Chihiro shrugged and didn't answer, which only caused her friend to shriek in laughter as the two girls linked arms and ran off to the school together.

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As they sat in class, Chihiro stared absentmindedly out the window, thinking about what her friend Akira had teased her about this morning.

Boys. They'd never really caught her attention much, to be completely honest.

It wasn't that they weren't nice enough; besides Akira, her closest friend was Kei, who'd been one of her neighbors for as long as she could remember.

No, she'd always just felt that besides Kei, none of the boys were very interesting. All they ever seemed to speak about was dating, and she had no use for that right now between keeping her job and the constant visits to the hospital.

The only boy who'd ever understood that and still been willing to talk to her and be her friend was Kei.

Speaking of Kei…as the thought of her friend crossed her mind, Chihiro's gaze focused and she turned to scan the classroom, making a face when she realized he wasn't there.

Shooting a glance at Akira, who sat on the other side of the room, the two girls seemed to have a wordless conversation before Chihiro turned back to look out the window, hiding a smirk with her hand.

How could she have missed him this morning? True, she wasn't a morning person in the least, but to completely miss out the fact that one of her best friends wasn't there…she had assumed he'd be showing up late again, the way he always did.

Akira's smirk at her had said more than enough; it was clear she knew that Chihiro had been too busy caught up in her own thoughts again to even remember Kei.

Having been derailed from her original train of thought, Chihiro stared out the window once more, letting herself get lost in thought again.

Just as she was on the verge of remembering her previous thought, something caught her eye.

It was only a figure in the distance, but the longer she stared the more clear it became.

Dark blue hair fell in a neat cut to his shoulders, and his dark green eyes seemed to pick her out easily despite the distance. His clothes were odd in that he wore old fashioned looking articles, but that wasn't what made him stand out to her.

Was it his slender, pale face? Was it the stance he adopted, which suggested he wanted to come closer? What was it?

The longer she stared, the more she seemed to recognize him.

Where had she seen this boy before?

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**A/N: I really, really, REALLY ought to start putting these things in the very beginning more XD **

**Well, disclaimer: Don't own Spirited Away, or any of its characters! **

**Anyways, half the battle for this story was even coming up with a title...I seriously sat in the corner of my room growing mushrooms as I tried to come up with something to encompass the entire plot of this story XD **


	3. Chapter 2

As he caught sight of her for the first time in seven years, he allowed himself to smile again. He'd found her, finally.

Had it been seven years, since he'd seen her last? Her mousy brown hair had grown long, and the ponytail she wore it in gently fell in strands over her shoulder as she stared out the window. Haku could see strength in her black eyes, and when he thought back to his last image of her he smiled when he remembered the same look there too.

By the looks of things, she had truly grown to be a beauty, even more so than Lin and the others had predicted those first few days after she'd left them.

Looking even closer, he smiled as he noted the sparkle in her hair. To think she was still using the same thing, after all these years! It was only further proof that he'd been right in coming to get her.

At last, he could fulfill that which he had promised her, seven years ago when he had let go of her hand.

He'd regretted every day after that he'd let her go without so much as a whispered, "I love you", or anything else to indicate how he felt towards her.

Carefully, so as to not lose her attention, he stepped closer towards the large building she was in, noting that it was a school. Still looking up at her, he narrowed his eyes a little to get a better glimpse, and in doing so collided with someone else.

"Ah…sorry," Haku said, not sounding very sorry at all. When he took his gaze off Chihiro for a second, he found himself looking at a young man of his stature; stunned blue eyes looked back at him from underneath a crop of messy, light brown hair.

"It's fine," the young man said as he smiled and got up, dusting his school jacket off carefully before waving and heading into the school.

Haku nodded curtly and looked up to find Chihiro again, but he was stunned that she was no longer looking at him. Rather, she was watching the young man who'd just bumped into him, and she appeared to be happy about something as her eyes tracked his movements.

A feeling of dread seeped into Haku's stomach, but he quickly dismissed the idea that the two were in some sort of relationship. His eyes sought hers once more, but to his dismay Chihiro was giggling to herself as she watched the tall young man casually slink into the school.

Why had she looked away? And furthermore, how could this mere…boy have caught her attention over him?

Grinding his teeth, Haku quickly fell back against a nearby street light, his eyes now following the same boy. Here he thought he'd have her full attention upon their first sight of each other in seven years, and yet to think that their connection had been broken so easily!

Still, Haku reasoned to himself, it was only to be expected that she would look at him in such a surprised manner. The two of them had both grown over the years, and he'd no doubt that while he looked similar to the way he had several years ago he was still different in some ways.

He couldn't wait to talk to her.


	4. Chapter 3

As Chihiro opened her bento on the school rooftop, she smiled as Akira scolded Kei.

"Jeez, you're late AGAIN. Why don't you wake up on time for once and walk with us to school so you can stop getting detention?" Akira complained, sinking down to sit next to Chihiro as her short brown hair flew everywhere with the light breeze. Chihiro absentmindedly straightened the small bow that rested on her friend's hair, and Akira squealed a 'thank you' before smothering her in a hug.

Kei just smirked before leaning against the railing and looking down at the school yard, where other students gathered for lunch break.

"Well, _some _of us have a job…and _some_ of us earn money that pays for all the karaoke outings that a certain _someone else _constantly demands for…" he teased, looking at Akira and causing her to stick her tongue out at him.

Chihiro laughed lightly and went to take a bite when Kei continued talking, saying something that threw her off her happy mood into a pensive one.

"There was some weird guy standing outside the school today. I bumped into him and he didn't seem very nice…I mean, he said sorry but it was still really weird…" Kei scratched his cheek.

Akira snorted at the thought and dug into her bento with even more gusto, pointing her chopsticks at Kei as she said, "Well he's not there anymore is he? He was probably just passing by or something, right Chihiro?"

Chihiro nodded absentmindedly, staring hard at her lunch as her eyebrows furrowed in thought.

So she hadn't been imagining that boy…but it still didn't explain why he seemed so familiar.

Kei, noticing the pensive look on her face, couldn't stand it any longer. Straightening up, he walked over to where the two girls sat and flopped down to join them, leaning over and taking the bite of food that Chihiro held in her utensils.

While Chihiro blushed slightly at his gesture and snapped out of her daze, Akira angrily punched Kei.

"Don't harass Chihiro!" she scolded Kei, and the young man laughed before reaching over and thoroughly messing up his friend's hair and sending her bow flying into Chihiro's lap.

"It's not harassment, I just didn't want to see good food go to waste!"

"Liar, you just like making fun of us! You sick freak!"

Watching the antics of her two friends, Chihiro laughed loudly this time, forgetting all about the strange boy. With a smile, she looked at them and said, "Must you two act like this even though we're already second years? Won't you ever grow up?"

Kei snickered, and as he pulled his hand away from Akira's hair he let his arm rest on his knee as he looked at Chihiro with a teasing smile.

"We'll grow up the day you stop spacing out so much," he said, and Akira laughed in agreement as Chihiro blushed at the teasing.

"Oh, I'm not that bad," she argued back, but she grinned as Akira and Kei rolled their eyes at each other, over dramatizing the movement in order to catch their friend's attention.

Kei pretended to mimic her, staring up at the sky with a look of comic concentration on his face while Akira danced around him, twirling around with a dreamy look on her face.

With a laugh, Chihiro gently reprimanded them, saying, "I may be constantly spacing out, but that means at least one of us is thinking!"

As the three fell back with laughter and finished off the lunch break together, none of them noticed the small figure that stood on the sidewalk in front of the school watching them.

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That night, as Chihiro kicked off her shoes from work she rummaged through her fridge only to find with disappointment that it was empty.

"Tsk, I've got to go out again," she moaned unhappily, throwing off the apron and uniform from her work to exchange it for a pair of casual shorts and a slightly too big t-shirt.

With a sigh, she stretched and then headed back for her front door, slipping on her shoes and grabbing the nearest bag for a quick trip to the grocery store.

When she got there, she carefully sorted through the vegetables and pondered over what meat she could afford to buy before remembering that it was still a school night and she hadn't studied yet at all.

As she rushed out of the grocery store, she felt the presence of someone nearby. At first she talked herself out of it, believing it to only be her normal paranoia, but as the feeling continued she grew nervous.

Could it be some kind of pervert, lurking in the night and waiting to prey on an innocent girl like her?

The longer she walked, the more the feeling of being followed grew, and Chihiro quickly sped up her pace so as to at least be in a housing area if she had to scream.

She was quickly regretting her decision to go out all by herself when she heard light footsteps behind her. It was a dark street, but as there was a lot of homes she felt slightly safer as she turned around to face her follower.

To her surprise, she found herself staring at the young man from earlier that day.

She found, much to her surprise, that he was taller than she'd originally thought he was; he appeared to be at least five eight or five nine, which meant he was about the same height as Kei.

He'd looked so much smaller on the ground.

The two stared at each other in silence, and Chihiro found that she was no longer afraid but was instead curious. Seeing him up close made her wonder even more where she'd seen him before, and as she struggled to remember his face he cleared his throat before speaking in a clear, low voice.

"Chihiro…I finally found you…" he said, a look of relief sweeping his handsome features. She flinched as the timbre of his voice made her head pound, and she closed her eyes as if to shut out a memory.

His words had caused her to tense up, and she steadied her stance into one of defensiveness as she asked, "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

A look of hurt flashed across his face before he said, "You don't remember me? But how could you forget? I came to see you. I promised you, and I intended to keep that promise…haven't you been waiting for me all this time?"

The more he spoke the more confused Chihiro seemed to get, yet she could not bring herself to run away from him. She was not scared of him at all; instead a feeling of comfort and familiarity swept over her as he took a slight step forward, one pale hand reaching out towards her before shying back quickly to clutch at an amulet which hung about his neck.

It was a strange looking object; it appeared to be a tiny glass bottle in which there were seven glowing blue stones. Drawing her eyes away from it, she cleared her throat and met the eyes of the boy once more.

"I'm sorry," she said slowly, "But I'm afraid you've got the wrong person. I have no idea who you are, or what you want."

At her reply, his entire body seemed to tremble before his eyes flashed with pain and he cried, "How could you forget!? It's not possible, it's not! Come back with me to the Spirit World, Chihiro!"

As he held his hand out to her, Chihiro's good sense finally kicked in and she backed away before turning and full out running from him.

When she came to her house, she stumbled inside and leaned against the door, panting hard.

Why did her heart twist like that when she saw his hurt expression, despite the fact that she had no clue who he was?

Shaking her head, she muttered to herself, "He's probably some drunk stalker…"

In the midst of putting her groceries away though, she sank to the ground and trembled, clutching her chest as her heart twisted once more at the expression she'd left him with.

He was all too familiar, although she couldn't recall why.

Sleep was her only answer, and quickly she went to bed. As she wrapped the covers around herself, she made a silent prayer that this would all seem so much clearer in the morning.

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**For every short chapter, there will probably be a long one XD I don't know if I can make them all even lengths, so bear with me for it please! **

**Anyways, thanks so far Soulneko and NaturalDreamer for being my first two reviewers! Feel free to leave any other thoughts, thanks for reading!**

**I'll post more tomorrow :)**


	5. Chapter 4

In the middle of the street, Haku sat down. As his hand wrapped around the amulet he wore around his neck, he clutched it so tightly that the sharp edge at the top of the bottle cut into his skin.

He hadn't made a mistake; that was definitely Chihiro. But why couldn't she remember him? Why didn't she recognize him?

Humans hardly ever came to the Spirit World, and those who had were unlikely to forget such an experience. The Spirit World wasn't something one could easily forget…so why had she managed to erase it from her mind?

Haku grit his teeth and looked at the amulet he held in his hands. Seeing that blood was trickling down his hand and staining his pale skin, he let go of the amulet and gazed at his hands before wiping them on his outfit.

He'd be discarding the clothes soon anyways; here, they were far too old fashioned and they made him stick out like a sore thumb. As he vigorously rubbed the blood off, he thought again of Chihiro's expression when she'd first turned around to face him.

Had he really worked seven years for this kind of reunion? He'd envisioned it being easier to convince her to come back to the Spirit World with him.

Then again, he'd also envisioned her saying, "I miss you" at the very least.

He hadn't expected her to jump on him upon first sight, but he'd still expected her to at least recognize him.

Would seven months be enough time for him to make her remember what she seemed to have forgotten?

As he played with the amulet in his fingers, he idly stood up and wandered off to find a tree to sleep in.

He was glad that it was fall, and that the night was warm.

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"Oh my gosh, Chihiro what happened to you? Are you okay?" Akira's concerned voice filled the air as she took in the sight of an extremely disheveled Chihiro.

Sure, her friend was a bit of a daydreamer, but she had always been the kind of girl who gave off the aura of self-assuredness. The Chihiro she knew wasn't meticulous about everything, but she certainly wasn't someone who let her hair go uncombed, and she most definitely would have at least had the decency to tie the bow at her neck properly.

Fussing over her friend, Akira retied the sloppy bow and grabbed Chihiro's hand, rushing off towards the school. So occupied with Chihiro, she failed to notice that Kei was standing in the middle of the street with his back turned to them.

The three collided and fell to the ground, which seemed to snap Chihiro out of her daze.

"Oh! Kei? Akira? What's going on?" she asked, sitting up as she watched Kei rise up angrily and chase Akira around the street in circles for a few minutes.

Kei paused in his assault as he caught Akira easily, holding her back by the collar on her shirt.

"Good morning, Chihiro. As spaced out as usual, I see," Kei said as he dragged Akira close to him and pulled her bow off from around her neck, pushing her away and laughing as she chased him frantically, screaming at him angrily to give it back.

"Good morning. You two are rather lively this morning, it's not like you to be so active this early." Chihiro said, brushing her hair back and just realizing she hadn't put it up yet. As she gathered her hair back Kei tossed Akira her bow and came up Chihiro, grabbing her hands as he said with a laugh, "No, don't put your hair up today. You look good with your hair down like that."

"At least let her brush it!" Akira said, kicking Kei out of the way and grabbing a hairbrush out of her bag. While she fussed over Chihiro's hair, Kei cleared his throat and looked at his watch.

"Hey, we're gonna be late if you don't stop playing beauty parlor and get moving."

"Shut up! I don't want Chihiro to get a detention for not being groomed properly! It's all fine and well if YOU get detention but I can't let Chihiro be in the same room with all those bad guys!"

"Oy, brat, who're you calling a bad guy? Would a bad guy pay for YOUR lunch every time you forget it?"

Chihiro watched as Akira and Kei fought with each other playfully, Kei grinning as he held her off and Akira looking angry but slightly blushing. She shook herself out of her daze and rushed in between the two, grabbing them both by the arms as she said, "Let's get to school already!"


	6. Chapter 5

Everyone seemed to be talking about something when the three entered the class together. Chihiro and Akira went over to their spot by the window to talk, and after greeting some of his guy friends Kei joined them, ignoring looks that some of the girls threw him as he walked past.

Chihiro frowned as Akira finished fixing up her hair, and she asked Kei, "What's got everyone so excited?"

Kei leaned forward on her desk, a half smile playing on his lips as he said confidentially, "Apparently there's some new guy coming in today. One girl saw him this morning on his way to the office and said he's really attractive and now everyone's gossiping non-stop about him."

Akira rolled her eyes and Chihiro said thoughtfully, "I hope for his sake that everyone else thinks he's attractive too, otherwise everyone will seem so disappointed to meet him."

Kei closed his eyes and complained, "Well, there's no way he'll be so attractive that even YOU'D notice him, Chihiro. I mean, you can't even see me and everyone knows that I'm super attractive."

Chihiro stifled a laugh as Akira reached over her head and knocked him on the head slightly, saying with a teasing grin, "Since when did you get to be so conceited? Go back to your seat and stop trying to puff yourself up meaninglessly; we've known you since middle school, you're not getting off that easily!"

Chihiro was about to say something when the teacher came in and called for everyone to get in their seats.

Everyone grumbled a bit but obeyed, and the teacher looked at them with a happy expression before saying, "Well, before we start class today I'd like you all to welcome the new student here!" Turning to the door, she beckoned towards someone.

As he stepped in, everyone's breath seemed to stop, and Chihiro froze as she took in the same boy from the night before. He was wearing different clothes now (the school uniform) and he looked a lot less friendly than he had when he'd been speaking to her, but there was no mistaking it was him.

While everyone watched and gasped at him, he lowered his eyes and said in the same elegant voice, "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I am Ichikawa Kohaku, and I'll be attending this school from now on."

As most of the girls in the room swooned a little at his handsome face, his eyes sought out Chihiro's. Once he found her, he smiled which caused the girls to go into a frenzy, most of them whispering to each other about how good-looking he was.

The teacher smiled and put a hand lightly on his back before looking around the room.

"You can sit over there by the window, behind Ogino-san. Ogino, please raise your hand!"

The class watched as the new boy walked carefully past Chihiro, giving her a glance as he passed her. She kept her head down, glad that she had taken Kei's advice and not put her hair up that day; it made for an effective curtain against his piercing eyes.

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As soon as class was dismissed for lunch break, Chihiro pushed her chair out from her desk quickly and tried to run from the room but Haku was having none of it. Grabbing her arm, he said, "Wait, Chihiro!"

"Don't call me so familiarly!" Chihiro pleaded, struggling to break his grip. His hand tightened around her arm and his gaze hardened as he said, "So you really don't remember me, huh? What happened, Chihiro? It' s me, Haku, don't you remember me at all?"

"Please, just leave me alone!" she cried, finally breaking free and falling back against a desk as Akira and Kei rushed up to her.

"Chihiro, are you alright?" Akira asked, but her friend just shoved the two of them away and ran out of the room while the rest of the class watched and whispered to each other about what they'd just seen.

Akira stood up slowly, and Kei turned to face Haku with an extremely menacing look in his eyes.

"What business do you have, harassing Chihiro?" Kei wanted to know, and Haku was about to answer when he bit his tongue, remembering that he couldn't tell them the same story he'd been trying to tell Chihiro earlier; no human would ever believe it.

Instead, he settled for, "I'm not harassing her, I'm just trying to talk to her. I've known her since we were little. I can't believe she doesn't remember me, especially when we were so close. I mean, she left when we were ten but…"

Hearing this, Kei's eyes narrowed but Akira grabbed his arm and tugged the sleeve lightly.

"Kei, I think he's telling the truth."

"You don't know that, Akira! What if he just wants to hurt-"

"NO, Kei. Look at him. Does he really look like he'd be lying about this? He looks the same way we did five years ago, standing outside that door in the hospital…"

Kei glanced over at where Haku stood, a resolute look on his face while he silently waited for the two friends to finish their whispered conversation.

Jerking Akira off his arm, Kei put his hands in his pockets and strode out the door angrily, saying, "Whatever. I'm going to go find Chihiro."

Haku clenched his hands into fists and watched him go, about to say something when he felt a timid hand touch his arm lightly. Looking down, he saw that Akira was looking at him with what seemed to be an apologetic expression.

"Come with me," she said, leading him out of the classroom.

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**Sorry if I'm dragging you into suspense, but I need to get the next part down exactly right XD Otherwise the rest of it won't make sense, and neither will what I've already put up. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and thanks for reading :) I'll update again as soon as I can!**


	7. Chapter 6

While the wind played with her hair, Akira stood at the rail and stared out in the distance, a sad look on her face. Haku, behind her, shut the door to the roof then asked, "Why have you called me out here?"

She turned to face him and gave him the same apologetic expression she'd given him before, in the classroom.

"Ichikawa-san," she started, "This may be your first day here, but by the way you acted you obviously know Chihiro. I believe you, when you say that you were childhood friends and that you parted at the age of ten."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. And it makes sense why she doesn't remember you, but you clearly remember her and even appear to have been looking for her."

Drawing a deep, shaky breath, Akira put her hand up to her mouth and closed her eyes for a minute. When she opened her eyes and began to speak again, Haku could feel the pain etched in every single word she spoke.

"I've known Chihiro since she and her family moved here, seven years ago. When we were twelve, her family got into a car accident that resulted in her father's death and put her mother into a coma. Chihiro was gravely injured in the head, and for a while everyone thought she was going to die when the surgery pulled through.

"Kei and I were so happy to have our friend back…but when we went to visit her that first day in the hospital she had no idea where she was or who we were. She couldn't even remember her own parents. The doctor told us it was amnesia, and that it was due in part to her injury and in part to the shock of the accident.

"She was so wary of us at first…and she acted differently at first too. We couldn't even get her to speak to us, and she seemed to negative until we finally convinced her that we really were her friends. Either way, it took months for Kei and I to help her remember us, and it took even longer for us to help her get over the shock of receiving her memories back only to get the news that her father was dead and her mother was in a coma.

"I think that because you were part of her memories from before the accident, she can't remember you. She doesn't remember anything before that day at all, so it's the only explanation I can give you. I'm sorry, Ichikawa-san, but Chihiro has no memories of you at all. To her, your friendship never existed."

Akira, her story finally finished and the burden of telling it off her shoulders, glanced up to see Haku's pitiful expression.

The boy had gone even paler than he already was, and his lips trembled as he looked down, clutching at the amulet around his neck tightly.

"So all her memories of me…are gone?" he murmured, his voice breaking on the word 'gone'.

In that moment, Akira had never felt sorrier for anyone in her entire life; the way he looked right now was enough to break anyone's heart.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked him with a concerned tone, reaching a hand forward to tap his shoulder lightly. Haku avoided her hand and clutched the amulet even tighter as Akira gave a heavy sigh.

"It's a lot to take in, I know. And on top of that it's your first time seeing her in how long? Seven years? I can imagine it seems a bit a far-fetched but it's the truth. I can talk to Chihiro if you like and fix up whatever misunderstanding seems to be going on between you two."

Haku shook his head, frowning.

"I'll befriend her again on my own. But to think…I never knew about this at all." His eyes widened for a second before narrowing, and he made a 'tch' sound as he muttered, "Damn old hag. She never mentioned this."

Akira watched as he straightened up and seemed to become surer of himself.

"Thank you…?"

"You can call me Akira. Any friend of Chihiro's is most definitely a friend of mine!"


	8. Chapter 7

At the moment, Chihiro herself was sitting outside under a tree with her head in her hands. Her head ached and pounded, and she shut her eyes tightly as flashes of memories sorted through her brain. It was obvious the boy knew her, but she couldn't remember him and she wasn't ready to face him just yet.

So absorbed in her thoughts, she failed to notice Kei approach her. When he carefully touched her back, her head shot up and she had a wild look in her eyes, causing him to jump back in alarm.

"Chihiro?" he asked, and when she saw it was just her friend she pulled her knees up to her chest and miserably looked down.

"Kei."

"Come on, Chihiro, let's go back to the classroom. You haven't eaten right? I bet your hungry; we can eat at the desks today and I'll make sure that guy doesn't come near you."

At that, Chihiro shook her head rapidly before bringing her wrist up to stare at the shiny hair tie that she wore there.

"Kei, I really think he knows me from somewhere. Did he say anything to you about it when I ran out?"

For a moment Kei was silent, before he flopped down next to her and said, "He mentioned something about knowing you when you two were little. He also said something about you moving away when you were ten."

Hearing that, Chihiro gave a sad smile and raised her arm even higher, watching as the light danced on the hair tie she wore.

"Well, I know that I moved here when I was ten; you guys told me that much. And I don't think he asked around for that information. Besides that, he seems familiar. I just can't place him in my past…in the past that I've had to recreate. What if he was someone important that I've forgotten?"

When Kei saw Chihiro's lower lip trembling, he frowned and moved closer, throwing an arm across her shoulders and bringing her close so that her head rested on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Chihiro. Akira's sorting him out right now-if he's someone important he'll tell you himself. There's no way he's going to blame you for forgetting him after he finds out."

Chihiro's eyes had widened a little at Kei's bold gesture, but then she smiled and closed her eyes, sinking against her friend as she murmured, "Thanks, Kei."

After a few minutes of silence, she began to sleep and Kei looked up at the sky through the trees, a thoughtful frown on his face.

"Someone important, huh?"

His hand tightened around her shoulder as she blissfully slept on, unaware as Kei leaned down to kiss her forehead. Pulling back, he ran a hand through her hair, letting the strands slip between his fingers idly before he spoke in a low tone.

"No one should be more important to you than me, Chihiro."

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When Chihiro returned to the classroom, she was astonished to find that Haku was sitting quietly in his seat, staring pensively out the window. She'd half expected him to rush at her again, demanding a better explanation.

Seeing such a sad expression on his face though, she felt sorry for him and took a step forward before putting her hand on his desk.

"Ichikawa-san."

He looked up, and when he saw it was her, his face darkened a little bit before he carefully rearranged his expression to appear stoic.

"I apologize, Chihiro, for being so forceful. I hadn't realized the circumstances of your…loss."

Chihiro smiled sadly before bowing slightly to him, which caused him to sit up as she said, "No, I should apologize. Rather than explaining it to you, I just ran away. I didn't even acknowledge the fact that I find you somewhat familiar."

Hearing her words, Haku bolted out of his seat a little, standing up and looking at her with excited eyes.

"You mean, you recognize me? Sort of?"

Taken aback by such an excited expression on his face, Chihiro couldn't help but give a soft laugh as she replied gently, "Yes. At least, you seem familiar, the same way Akira and Kei did when they first visited me. I look forward to getting to know you again, Ichikawa Kohaku-san."

Haku smiled back at her, and Chihiro hesitated when she felt her heart skip a beat as he said, "Since I can only call you Chihiro, I'd like you call me the same way you did when we were younger. Please, call me Haku."

She blushed, as Kei had been the only guy she'd ever called by first name, and mumbled, "Ah, very well. It's nice to talk to you…H-Haku."

Haku grinned at her, and was about to say more when the Kei walked up to them, obviously unable to stand much more of the two conversing.

"Chihiro," he said, turning his back to Haku so that he completely covered the young man's view of Chihiro, "let's go out after school today! I don't have work, so we can go to that new cake shop they built by the station."

Akira bounced up with a happy smile on her face, tugging at Chihiro's arm as she pointed Kei, saying, "You're treating us, right?"

Kei scoffed and said, "Only Chihiro. I wouldn't treat you if my life depended on it!"

While Akira and Kei fought, Chihiro looked over at where Haku had resumed his seat. He was sitting very still and very quietly, as if he didn't want to intrude on their plans, although Chihiro could tell he was no doubt listening to what they had been talking about.

With a smile, she clasped her hands behind her back and asked him sweetly, "Would you like to join us, Haku?"

* * *

**Well hey, thanks for the reviews and the reads :) I figure that I'll keep this story up, finish off my drabble story, and then post my Mineral Town story so I get everything I want to get out before summer ends, because although I'll want to keep writing when school starts it won't be as easy. XD**

**It's just not that simple, making time to both practice your instrument AND write XD Anyways, thanks again, and until the next update :)**


	9. Chapter 8

"Oy," Kei growled, looking angry while Akira laughed loudly, linking arms with Chihiro. "What's this brat doing with us?" The tall young man eyed Haku with an irritated look, which Haku returned with just as much anger.

"_I have lived a thousand lives, each of them more magnificent than this one life YOU have lived, you insignificant human BRAT. Don't assume airs just because you're on better terms with Chihiro than I am right now,"_ Haku thought bitterly. He dared not retort back to Kei for fear of angering Chihiro, as it was obvious that the two of them were extremely good friends.

Akira looked back from where the two girls were ahead, and she scolded Kei, saying, "Ichikawa isn't a brat! That would be YOU, Kei."

Kei was about to complain again when Chihiro glanced back at him and gave him a big smile.

"I thought Haku might like to join us, seeing as he's new to the class and all," she reprimanded her friend in her gentle tone, causing Kei to blush slightly before grinding his teeth as he looked away, an arm over his face to cover up his pink cheeks.

As the two girls walked ahead, Akira said in a low voice, "Chihiro, is that guy really familiar or are you just saying that because he looks so sad and you felt sorry for him?"

Thoughtfully, Chihiro twisted a strand of her hair and replied, "I really do believe we met before. Like I said in the classroom, when I look at him I get the same feeling from when I first looked at you. It's almost as if he's part of a dream that I just can't ever seem to complete…"

Akira smiled at her dreamy friend's thoughts and laughed lightly, pinching Chihiro's cheek slightly as she teased, "You say the strangest things sometimes, you know that? Anyways, let's get to the shop before the two of them explode back there; I never knew silence could be this loud!"

The two boys, unable to hear the conversation yet somehow knowing it was about them ,walked quietly behind the girls. As they neared the cake shop, both of them exchanged glares at each other when they bumped into each other through the door, causing Akira to go back and pull them both through at the same time and chide them for being so ridiculous.

Haku, for all his silence, was extremely ticked off at the attitude of Kei but did his best not to show it; he reasoned that if he started a fight with the boy now, than Chihiro would never learn to trust him and he'd never get a chance to be close to her again.

He fully intended for her to remember him, although how he was to bring back those memories he had no idea.

Kei, on the other hand, was irritated with how trusting Chihiro was. Couldn't she tell that this kid was nothing but trouble? From that stoic, serious look to the way he watched Chihiro with almost possessive eyes, it was clear that whatever relationship the two had had before was a close one.

And Kei disliked the idea of that very much.

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_The two of them were running swiftly through the night._

_Chihiro couldn't quite get her bearings on her surroundings, as she was being pulled so quickly but all the same she didn't mind. Instinctively, in the back of her mind, she knew she was running from something and that the boy who was holding her hand was only helping her to escape._

_As they flew through several doors, all of which seemed to magically shut behind them, she looked closer at her savior and found it was Haku. _

"_Haku?" she asked, and his pale hand grasped hers even more tightly as he said, "Chihiro, there's no time to talk. We have to hurry."_

_Swiftly, he pulled her behind him as they ran up and down stairs, through buildings and past a pen of pigs until they were near a beautiful garden. _

_Once there, he allowed her to take a breath while he cautiously looked out at the street where colorful lights danced across a giant, beautifully ornate bridge. _

_Chihiro was sure that this had all happened before, but she quickly dismissed the idea as Haku turned to her and said low, "We'll have to cross the bridge. You'll want to hold your breath; otherwise you'll be discovered."_

"_Discovered?" Chihiro asked, her voice sounding silly in her own ears. "Discovered by who?"_

_Haku looked at her in a way that had chills running down her spine as he said, "Yubaba, the witch."_

_In an instant Chihiro stood frozen on the path, a million lights flashing as the scenery became an endless blur of white, blinding her. Noises clashed together; a horn blared loudly in her ear only to be followed by a scream…and in the background was the faint cackle of an old, withered voice that had her trembling with fear…_

Chihiro bolted up, gasping as she clutched her chest. Her head was pounding, and she was panting for breath as if she'd just been running a marathon. What a vivid nightmare she'd had! It had been weeks since she'd last had a dream, but if she was going to have strange images like that she would have preferred to not have dreams at all.

Why had she had such a dream?

Shaking her head, she glanced at the clock and found to her surprise that she'd manage to wake herself a good fifteen minutes before her alarm was set to go off. She took a deep breath before wrapping the covers around herself and swinging her legs out of bed.

Padding over to her desk, she opened the little blue book that she kept on top and rifled through the messy pages until she came to the next clean page. As she began to recount her dream onto the paper, she shuddered as she penned into words that which had been her dream.

Fifteen minutes later, she was still trembling from the memory as she slowly closed the book and got up to turn off her alarm and get ready for school.


	10. Chapter 9

She was surprised, to say the least, when she found that Haku was waiting for her outside her house instead of Akira. Just as she was about to turn away and phone her friend, demanding the meaning of this, Haku waved at her and called out, "Chihiro! Over here!"

With that, she had no choice but to walk over to him shyly before she asked, "How…how did you find my house? Do you live nearby?"

Haku scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed manner, and for the first time since meeting him Chihiro felt that he finally looked at ease.

"Well, yesterday Yoshida-san gave me your address…and she said that she wanted me to walk you to school."

In the back of her mind, Chihiro silently calmed herself while thinking exactly what she was going to tell Akira. While Chihiro fumed, Haku held his hand out and took her by surprise as he asked, "Would you like me to carry your bag for you?"

"Ah, no, it's fine. Let's get going then."

"Alright."

The two began walking side by side in a comfortable silence. After a few minutes, Chihiro snuck a glance over and saw that Haku was smiling happily; for all the world he looked like a small child who had just found their favorite toy once more.

Seeing that she was glancing over at him, he chuckled a little and then stuck a hand in his pocket as he said, "I really have missed you, Chihiro. It was such a shock to see how beautiful you've grown after seven years."

At his comment she found herself blushing furiously, and quickly Chihiro looked away and tugged nervously on her ponytail.

"You…you don't need to flatter me unnecessarily."

"It's not unnecessary if it's true, is it? Besides that, I see that you're still wearing the same hair tie from so long ago too."

At the mention of her hair tie, Chihiro's interest was once again re-kindled as she questioned, "So you know where I got this hair tie? I've had it with me as long as I can remember…even Akira can't tell me where I got it, and she's the only one who seems to know nearly everything about things I can't remember."

Haku looked at her in surprise before remembering that she would have no recollection of how the beloved accessory came into her possession. With a smile, he tilted his head and looked up at the sky.

"Yes. Zeniba and the others wove it together for you the night before you left. Ah," Haku turned to look at her once more, worry painting his features, "You won't remember them either, will you?"

Sadly, Chihiro shook her head and gave a desolate smile as she walked alongside Haku. He opened his mouth to attempt to explain more when Chihiro spoke in a soft, depressed voice.

"I wish I could respond more to your memories of me, Haku. I'm not the same girl I was seven years ago-in fact, even now I question whether or not I'm really myself."

Chihiro bit her lip, expecting Haku to make another painful expression when to her surprise he just seemed to straighten up.

"It's fine, Chihiro. Don't apologize. I came back for you; and I intend to have you remember me," he said confidently, but then something crossed his mind and he muttered so that Chihiro could barely hear, "If only I wasn't pressed for time…this would be easier…"

She was about to question him when the two realized the time, and they exchanged panicked looks before Haku said, "We've got to run for it, or we'll be late!"

"O-okay!" Chihiro said, and Haku took a step forward before turning around and holding a hand out to her.

The gesture was so familiar that Chihiro took his hand without thinking; and in the next moment the two were running swiftly through the streets as they raced towards the school.

With a sense of déjà vu, Chihiro felt herself being pulled along by Haku, and she watched his face as his expression grew serious.

All of it was far too familiar, and the realization that it was familiar caused her head to pound a bit as his face flashed in her mind, recalling the same expression on the Haku she'd dreamed of the night before.

Watching him, she felt a pang in her heart as she tried to remember the person who held her hand.

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"Where's Chihiro?" Kei grumbled suspiciously as Akira dragged him along towards school. She'd called him FAR too early for his liking, insisting on him walking to school with her and Chihiro.

He was disappointed, to say the least, when Chihiro was nowhere near and Akira grabbed his arm and dragged him off.

"Hush," his friend ordered him, "We're going to school early today because I feel like it! Besides that, don't you think it'd be nice for Chihiro and Haku to have some alone time together to rekindle memories?"

At the mention of Haku, Kei grit his teeth and yanked his arm out of Akira's grasp before yelling at her, "What? Don't tell me you're setting them up together, like some happy couple!? Chihiro doesn't need anyone but US…she doesn't need another guy but ME."

Akira bit her lip, but then took a deep breath in order to stop the hurt expression from showing on her face.

"Don't be such a jerk," she said quietly, and Kei was about to retort back when he saw that Akira looked genuinely hurt about something. Being the concerned friend he was, he uncurled his fists and dropped a hand on Akira's head gently, patting it before kneeling down to look her in the face with a troubled expression.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked gently, and Akira blushed furiously before jerking away from under his hand, her cheeks red.

"O-of course I'm fine! Stupid Kei!" Pushing her friend away, she ran off into the school leaving Kei staring after her.

"What's with her?" he mumbled to himself before hearing a familiar voice laughing. Quickly, he turned around and his cheeks flared red with anger when he saw that Haku and Chihiro were running up the street together towards the school, hand in hand.

Haku was pulling her along but he looked pleased at the contact, and Chihiro was following behind steadily with a big, happy smile on her face.

As the two neared the school, they let go of each other's hands, although Kei could tell by the look in Haku's eyes that he was reluctant to release Chihiro. Chihiro, for her part, seemed a little reluctant herself, and Kei watched as she brought the hand that had been holding Haku's up to her chest before her already pink cheeks turned even more pink.

Unable to stand the good atmosphere between the two, Kei walked up to her waving and saying, "Good morning, Chihiro!"

She seemed surprised to see him at the school so early, but her surprise melted into her usual soft grin as she waved back and said, "Good morning!" Then, noticing Akira was nowhere in sight, she frowned a little and asked, "Where's Akira? Didn't you come with her this morning?"

Kei rubbed the back of his head, his conscious already starting to guilt him about how he'd yelled at Akira and made her so upset, although he still couldn't figure out what was bothering her so much.

"I mean…I yelled at her cause she was kind of being annoying and I think it hurt her feelings cause she just stormed off…we can find her later. Come on, let's get to class." Kei slung his arm protectively around Chihiro's shoulder, shooting a smirk at Haku who gripped his hands into fists as he watched Chihiro being herded into the school, despite her protests.

As Kei turned his back on Haku, he noted the angry expression and smiled happily to himself, pulling at Chihiro's ponytail while she laughingly pushed him away.

* * *

**I hope you all caught what's going on here-not quite a love triangle...something slightly more abstract XD I don't even think it's a shape actually...I have no idea what it is XD Anyways, I'm going to keep going with it since it's working so far in my brain pretty nicely. Now it's just a matter of getting it right on paper :P **

**Thanks for the reads and reviews! I'll update as soon as possible! :) **


	11. Chapter 10

When Chihiro entered the classroom with Kei, she saw a very forlorn and quiet Akira sitting at her desk. It was so very unlike her friend that Chihiro frowned and went up to her, while Kei followed slowly behind.

Akira brightened a bit at the sight of Chihiro, but once she saw Kei behind her friend she frowned again and lay her head in her arms, refusing to look at them.

"Akira, are you alright?" Chihiro said gently, watching as Akira flinched away from Kei's hand as he tried to pat her on the head again.

With a growl, she raised her head and glared murderously at Kei before saying, "I'll be just fine if he would stop bothering me."

Kei, as stubborn as she was, growled back, "Not a chance! I'm not leaving you alone until you forgive me, or at least tell me what's wrong! Come on, Akira. You really mean a lot to me, and I hate it when you're not your usual, obnoxious and loud self."

"Oh, so I'm obnoxious to you, am I?"

"You know that's not what I meant."

Chihiro, knowing that this was not the normal sort of fighting the two did, backed away to let them talk and went over to where Haku sat at his desk, staring out the window pensively.

Sitting down in her own desk, she smiled at him before hesitating, then asking, "If you don't mind…can I ask you…?"

Haku turned to look at her attentively, and when her dark eyes met his eager green ones she hesitated that much more until he spoke gently, "You can ask me whatever you like."

Clearing her throat as if it would remove the blush brought on by such a gentle tone, Chihiro avoided his gaze as she asked, "How did we meet? I mean, initially, when we were little. I'd ask my mom but...she's not exactly able to respond at the moment." Chihiro gave a bitter laugh.

Haku propped his chin on his elbow as he smiled to himself, recalling their first meeting.

"I don't know if you want to hear it," he teased, surprising her as his stoic face slipped once more into a breathtaking smile. "I came off as terribly rude to you, I'm sure."

Chihiro found herself giggling as he made a face when she elbowed him, saying, "No, really! Tell me!"

Haku smiled even more when he saw her laughing and he ducked his head before saying, "Well…if you insist like that I really have no choice. We met on a bridge in front of the Bathouse …and the first thing I did was push you away and tell you that you had to leave."

"A bathouse? We met in front of a bathouse?"

"It's not just any bathouse you know, it's a bathouse for the spirits."

"Really, Haku?" she laughed, "A bathouse for the spirits?"

She was about to tell him off for teasing her further when she saw that he had a completely serious look on his face. On top of that, he clutched the amulet he wore around his neck even tighter before muttering, "They DO exist you know…"

Chihiro wasn't sure why, but when she looked at him she got the feeling he was right. Despite her questions and her doubts, she found herself saying quietly, "I believe you."

She meant it too, she realized, and at that realization her head began to hurt again in the same way it had before that morning.

"Nnnn…" she clenched her teeth and held her head between her hands to shut out the pain, but when she closed her eyes she could see several flashing images playing through her mind.

In her mind's eye, Chihiro found herself watching as several dark ghost-like creatures rose from the ground of an oriental town, and then the images switched to one of a beautiful silvery white dragon with a sea-green mane.

Snapping her eyes open to rid herself of the headache that was bound to come with the images, she found herself surrounded by Kei, Akira, and Haku, all three of them talking in concerned voices over her.

Haku was kneeling in front of her, somehow seeming the most worried as he touched her face lightly with his hand and asked, "Are you alright?"

Chihiro, not wanting to worry everyone, straightened up and insisted she was fine just as the teacher came in and called for class to start. While roll was being called, Chihiro placed a hand up to her forehead and wondered exactly what the images had been.


	12. Chapter 11

As soon as the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Chihiro pushed her chair back and stretched, ready to leave for her visit to the hospital. Akira came over to her desk, and the two were about to head down to the shoe lockers when Kei came over and put his arm on Akira's head, using her as an armrest.

Haku had disappeared, saying a quick good-bye to Chihiro as he rushed out the door with an urgent look on his face. She couldn't help but wonder where he'd gone in such a hurry, and for a minute she wondered to herself if it was because of the way she'd reacted to his answer that morning.

She shook the thought away as she focused back on her friends. Akira and Kei were arguing, as usual, but Chihiro smiled when she saw the blush on Akira's face, thinking that her friend was just glad the two of them had made up again.

Knowing that Akira wouldn't be able to take much more of Kei's teasing before she snapped at him and started another fight, Chihiro grabbed her hand and said, "Kei, we're going to leave now. We have to stop by and get some flowers for my mom."

Kei looked away from where he'd been arguing with Akira and gave Chihiro a grin before rubbing her hair slightly.

"Tell her I say hello," he told her, and she nodded before Kei turned and punched Akira lightly on the arm as a way of saying good-bye.

The two girls walked through the hospital quietly, holding onto the freshly made bouquet as they headed towards their destination. They were so familiar with the hospital that the nurses and doctors greeted them as they went past, heading towards the rehabilitation center.

"You know, I think her progress is going well considering it's only been about a year since she woke up," Akira said as they stood outside the door to the room where Chihiro's mom lived.

Chihiro nodded before giving a sad smile. Then, straightening herself up she plastered on a happy expression as she swung open the door.

"Hi, Mom!" she said cheerfully, although the sight of her mom sitting listlessly in the hospital bed had her wanting to cringe. After spending five years visiting her and hearing countless stories from both her friends and her grandparents, Chihiro could almost fully remember her mother, although her mother couldn't seem to remember her.

The doctors told her that it was merely the effect of having just woken up, but as it had been a year Chihiro was truly starting to doubt that. Perhaps the worst thing was that her mother still could not speak, despite all the efforts of the therapists that visited her.

Trying to be cheerful for her mom's sake, Chihiro stepped forward and handed her the bouquet with a bow, saying, "I bought these for you-orchids are your favorite, remember?"

Her mom did not reply, choosing instead to shift her gaze from the wall to the window.

Akira stood respectfully in the corner of the room as Chihiro sat down on the stool next to the bed and began to talk in what Akira could tell was a blatantly fake happy voice.

"I've got some stories to tell you, Mom. We got a new student in my class yesterday; his name is Ichikawa Kohaku, and he's very handsome. He's got such straight hair, and it's so dark too! It's a nice color though, it contrasts really with his eyes because they're a nice dark green.

"He seems so serious, but when you talk to him he's actually very nice and he's a really interesting person. Apparently he knows me from somewhere…he said that he was my friend when I was younger, and that the last time he saw me we were ten.

"Even though I can't remember him, he seems really familiar so I'm going to try and be friends with him again and see if I have any memories of him return, the same way my memories of you, Akira and Kei have come back. Oh, and speaking of Kei, he said hello." Chihiro gave a nervous laugh as her talking was met with a bored expression, her mom not even attempting to look interested in what she was hearing.

Getting the hint, Chihiro stood up and bowed, murmuring, "I'll be going then. It was nice to see you, Mom. I'll bring flowers next week too, okay? Take care."

Turning around quickly, Chihiro marched out of the room with Akira swift on her heels. As the door shut behind them, Akira wrapped her arms around her friend's trembling shoulders before saying, "Let's go, Chihiro. We don't need to be here any longer."

Chihiro wiped the beginnings of tears from her eyes before straightening up and saying, "Not yet, Akira. I want to talk to the doctor again."

* * *

**Slowly but surely it's coming along *wipes sweat off forehead* XD Anyways, I might update tomorrow too, so stay alert! :) Thanks for all the reads and reviews, feel free to leave any thoughts you like :) **


	13. Chapter 12

"Ah, Chihiro! It's been awhile, how have you been?" the doctor greeted her former patient happily, shaking her hand and offering her a seat. Chihiro smiled at the boisterous woman; her doctor had been one of the first people to help her get out of the depression of not really having her memories.

"I've been good…ah, well, sort of. You see, today I was talking to this boy who says he's an old acquaintance of mine, and while we were talking my head began to pound and I suddenly got all these random images in my head. They weren't very sensible images either…and the other night I had a dream with him in it, and it was also very familiar…"

Chihiro mumbled, feeling silly as the doctor tilted her head thoughtfully.

"An old acquaintance? I'm guessing this is one who didn't know about your accident too…the way things sound it almost as if you ARE remembering him. Normally, this wouldn't be a bad thing, but considering that you have such painful side effects it doesn't sound healthy. I recall that when you were under our care here you never had such episodes when you were starting to remember things.

"My advice would be to not question him about your past together too much. If he tells you things, you can let that slide but if you start to question him you might not want to stop, and if he gives you all the answers at once you'll be sure to be in a lot of pain as your brain tries to grasp it all.

"Take things slowly, Chihiro. If he's meant to be remembered, then it'll come in time."

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Haku stood by the river, staring distantly into the water as he closed his eyes and let his thoughts wander.

After what had happened that morning, he had left as soon as possible to attempt contact with the Spirit World but had failed miserably. Now, as he stood there letting the wind rush through him, he grimaced as he thought of the painful expression on Chihiro's face that morning.

Had that been brought on by her remembering something? Although he was masquerading as a human, Haku still had some of his spirit abilities and he had quite literally felt Chihiro's shock as she'd sat there with her head in her hands.

With a 'tch' Haku closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists. He wanted Chihiro to remember as soon as possible, as he didn't have much time to waste, but all the same if it meant putting her in pain he'd rather suffer himself than watch her have that heart-wrenching look on her face.

He opened his eyes and stared at the seven glowing stones in the bottle that hung around his neck, remembering what the witch had said.

"Seven stones for seven months, huh?" he muttered, twisting the bottle idly in his fingers. Was there any way for him to make her remember in time while keeping her sane? He was sure that if he pushed her too far with her memories all at once she would consider herself delusional.

The memories with him and the others weren't what most humans would have, after all, which would make things harder for Chihiro when she finally recalled them. That is, if she could recall them.

Feeling sorry for himself, Haku flopped down on the grass before deciding he was too lazy to find a tree to sleep in that night. Rolling over, he settled in before having a dreamless sleep.


	14. Chapter 13

October had passed when Chihiro finally brought up another question to ask Haku. In the one month that they'd been attending school together, the two had grown close and she found herself constantly surprised as she learned new things about him.

It wasn't that the things she learned were surprising; rather, it was the fact that half the time she'd seemed to have known instinctively what his likes and dislikes were, and accordingly so had acted on them.

That alone was proof enough to her that he was a part of her past, and in the month that had passed she had found herself believing more and more in his strange professions of the spirits.

The only problem that stood in their way now was Kei. Akira seemed to be happy around Haku, even becoming good friends with him herself, but Kei was an entirely different story.

He not only complained loudly about Haku (in his presence) but would often steer Chihiro away from him and tried to get in the way.

Chihiro adored her over-protective friend, but all the same she wished he wasn't so overbearing at times. Being too gentle to tell him how she felt, she often went along with him despite the forlorn looks that Haku threw her way.

It didn't make things any easier for Akira too, who looked disappointed every time Kei interrupted their conversations to go bother Chihiro and Haku.

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It was a particularly cold night after work, and Chihiro shivered as she clutched her scarf tighter around herself. Speculating it would snow soon, Chihiro smiled as she thought of the fun things she and her friends would do when winter break came.

Christmas was usually the highlight of her break, as she would spend it with either Kei or Akira's family depending on which one offered her first. It was the one night of the year she didn't feel so lonely.

While she ruminated to herself, she nearly collided with another figure who was walking towards the grassy area near the river.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" she exclaimed, before looking closer and seeing it was Haku.

"Hey," he greeted her, grinning despite the fact that he was soaking wet.

"Haku! What happened? Where are you going?"

Haku rubbed the back of his head, indicating that he was embarrassed about something as he muttered, "I was walking past the park and there was this little kid who'd dropped her toy in the fountain. I got it out for her, but now I'm soaking wet. No worries though, I'll just roll around in the grass until I get dry."

Chihiro scolded him, pulling at his wet clothes with disgust as she fretted, "What? You can't do that, you'll catch a cold even faster that way! Why don't you go back to your house and warm up there?"

"Don't have one," Haku said simply, a light smile on his face until he looked and saw that Chihiro was openly gaping at him. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she slapped him and said, "Idiot! Come with me!"

He was surprised when she began pulling him along, although he didn't protest.

When they got to her house, she shoved him inside the hallway before muttering darkly, "Wait here" and disappearing into a nearby room. Crashing sounds were heard as she rummaged around for something, and when she reappeared there were fresh clothes in her hands.

"The bathroom is at the end of the hallway, to your right. Put these on when you're done and meet me in the dining room."

Not giving him time to question or protest, she kicked him towards the bathroom before heading towards the kitchen, mumbling something about "soup" and "tea" under her breath as she did so.

Haku hesitated before smiling gently at her retreating figure. Quickly, he headed towards the bathroom and got in.

* * *

**I can see Haku being really nonchalant about not having a place to really stay. I mean, he's a river spirit so nature is pretty much his home, right? But of course, he's occupying a humanoid body right now so I figured he couldn't live outside forever XD**

**Anyways, thanks for the reads and reviews! Until the next update :)**


	15. Chapter 14

When he emerged from the bathroom, he found Chihiro setting steaming bowls of soup and rice along with other good things to eat on the table. He cleared his throat to get her attention, and she turned to him and blushed a bit at the sight of him standing in her house in such casual clothing.

"Good, you finished," she said briskly in order to cover up her blush, and she untied the apron she wore and sat down, signaling that he sit down across from her. He obliged, pulling out the chair and sitting down before thanking her for the meal and starting in on it.

Human food wasn't very appetizing to him, but as he was currently occupying a human body he ate the food dutifully. He avoided making a wry face at how tasteless it seemed compared to the food in the Spirit World before Chihiro asked, "So what were you doing, wandering around on the streets?"

Haku looked up at her, confused as he said, "I told you. I don't have a place to live."

"Did something happen in your home?"

"Well…not exactly. I just can't go home until all the stones in this bottle disappear." Haku held up the small bottle, and Chihiro was about to scoff at the idea when she noticed that instead of seven blue stones, there were now six.

"Did you take one out?" she wondered, noticing how tiny the bottle was. There was no way he could've taken the stone out himself…could he?

Haku smiled and shook his head, taking a bite of food before saying, "No. One of them will fade every month and return to the Spirit World. That's where they belong, and that's where I belong too."

Chihiro shook her head, and muttered, "There you go again, with that stuff about spirits."

As much as she wished to scold him for being so childish about it, at the same time she couldn't bring herself to deny the fact that she was starting to believe him. There was some so very serious about the way he said it that left no room for doubt.

He laughed and set the bowl down before leaning on the table and looking at her.

"You know," he said in an offhanded manner, "You used to believe in them too because you used to be able to see them. You used to be a part of the Spirit World too."

Chihiro laughed at this before asking, "Really? What did I do in the Spirit World then?"

Haku smiled as he recalled the various adventures she'd had there. He remembered watching her progress from being such a sheltered, complaining girl into the strong dependable woman she was now.

"A lot of things."

Chihiro pouted at his cryptic answer, causing him to laugh at her expression.

"That doesn't tell me anything at all!" she cried, swiping at him lightly by way of punishment. Haku avoided her hand, laughing all the more as he said, "Okay, okay! I'll tell you everything!"

At that moment, Chihiro remembered what her doctor had said to her before. _Recieivng so much information at once could be bad._

Quickly, she waved her hands at him and said, "Wait! I have a deal for you." She blushed a little before clearing her throat and saying, "Since you don't have a place to stay for six months, you can stay here in my house. In return, every week you have to tell me something about the Spirit World, or what happened to me there, okay?"

He was taken aback at first by her offer to stay, but then the thought of being closer to her was much to appealing to pass up. Clearing his throat and looking away he said slowly, "Well…you drive a hard bargain but I suppose…I can stay for awhile."


	16. Chapter 15

Akira nearly choked on her food as she gasped out, "He's staying with-?"

"SHH!"

Chihiro frantically covered her friend's mouth and looked meaningfully over at where Kei was standing in the corner of the room with a few of his other friends. It was lunch break, and Haku had gone off to turn in some papers to the teacher so the girls were left alone.

It had been a week since Chihiro had taken him in, and she hadn't found a good time to tell Akira, what with Kei constantly hovering around them.

Akira swallowed her words and brought her hands up, pushing Chihiro's away from her mouth and she looked at her friend sternly.

"You know, I'm all for you two rekindling whatever you had, but I don't think that's the right way," she scolded Chihiro, looking at her in a motherly way. Chihiro smiled a little at her friend's protective manner, but then pointed out, "Well, I'm safer with another person in the house, don't you think? I'll be less likely to be robbed or mugged in my sleep, and isn't that what you used to worry about the most the first few months I was living by myself?"

Akira made a non-committal noise before taking another bite of her food. She seemed to think things over before shooting a glance at Haku's desk.

"Well…he IS fairly trustworthy. A little weird, from what you told me, but trustworthy," Akira allowed, slowly poking around with her food before smiling at a memory. "You know," she said, "the other day I asked him if he came chasing after you here because he's always loved you and wanted to be with you."

Chihiro laughed, saying, "That's sounds like some cheesy romance novel, Akira!"

Akira giggled a little before agreeing, "Yeah, it does. But he was so honest with me! He straight out told me, 'I came to find here because I love her, and I want to be with her in the end. So I'm going to stay here and make her remember me.' That's what he said. I don't think I've ever admired anyone as much as I admire him for his honesty."

Chihiro blushed at the words before leaning forward and saying confidentially, "He really said that he came to find me because he loves me?"

Her friend looked at her as if she were a stupid child and said low, "Anyone could have figured that out without him saying a word about it. It's so obvious in the way he looks at you."

Chihiro waved her hands around frantically and was about to deny anything and everything when Kei's hand fell on the desk as he leaned in between them, purposely leaning against Akira as he looked closely at Chihiro's blushing face.

"Hey," he said, "Are we going out today or what?"

At his statement, Chihiro made a face and said, "You KNOW we can't go out without Akira…I mean honestly Kei, did you forget that she's on cleaning duty today? Besides, I've got work tonight…"

Kei pouted, as he leaned closer to Chihiro (nearly squashing Akira in the process) as he said low, "Well…WE could always go together. We could make it…a date, you know?"

At those words, Akira's cheeks flared red with anger, and she elbowed Kei hard in the stomach causing him to groan as he stood up. Chihiro blinked, not understanding what had just happened while Akira slammed her hands down on the desk before standing up quickly, pushing the chair back with so much force it collided roughly into Kei and sent him flying half way across the room where he fell down with a painful 'clunk' noise.

Everyone watched silently, mouths agape as Akira walked up to where Kei lay on the ground, nursing his stomach as he said, "What the hell, Akira?"

He looked up angrily, ready to demand an explanation of her behavior when he saw her face. Dimly, he remembered her making the same face before; her cheeks were red beyond belief, her eyes flashing, and her short hair seeming to flare out behind her like a halo.

Where had he seen that face before?

It hit him just as Akira closed her hands into fists and turned swiftly on her heel, marching out of the silent room as fast as possible. While everyone began to murmur low, Chihiro pushed back her chair and ran over to where Kei sat on the floor, holding his head in his hands.

"Kei! Are you alright? What happened between you and Akira?"

Kei brought his hands away from his face, looking extremely depressed.

"I've done something terrible Chihiro," he sighed, "I've gone and made Akira cry. Only I don't know what I've done to make her do that, and I don't know how I'm supposed to apologize when I don't even know what I did wrong."

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Outside, behind the school, Akira scrubbed her tears away before she hit the wall with a fist. Quickly, as if to forget the bruise on her right hand she pounded the concrete with her other hand, resulting in a matching bruise.

"Ahhhh," she sighed, her voice going from high to low as she blew air out of her cheeks and shook her hand. Leaning her head back against the wall, Akira backed up and pressed against it before sliding down slowly to sit on the ground.

As she closed her eyes, she heard light footsteps pattering nearby before a worried voice called, "Akira? Akira!"

"I'm over here, Chihiro," she called back in a soft voice, and the footsteps became louder until they came to a stop. Akira opened her eyes to see a worried Chihiro kneeling beside her.

"Yo," Akira said with her usual cheeky grin, holding up a peace sign despite her ragged, now bloody knuckles.

Chihiro gasped at the state of her friend's hands and knelt down, quickly pulling out the stash of band-aids she usually carried around for her own clumsy injuries.

"What did you do?" Chihiro alternately scolded and comforted her friend, dabbing at the blood with her handkerchief before placing on the band-aids. Akira just laughed and let her friend bandage her up before she let out a groan and sunk her head in her knees.

"Am I girly, Chihiro?"

"Huh?"

"Do I look like a girl, or act like a girl at all?"

Chihiro looked at her friend, taking in the short and spiky brown hair that contrasted beautifully with her light blue eyes, which she'd inherited from her mother's English side of the family. She took in her friend's slender, tall body (much taller than hers), and the pale skin.

"Akira, you're just like your mom except for your hair color. Of COURSE you look like a girl; in fact, you've always been the prettier one between the two of us."

Akira grinned a little at that before shaking her head and then saying, "Nah, mom looks too foreign for me to look like her. Besides, even if I WAS prettier than you I don't have your gentle personality at all."

Chihiro sat down next to her friend, leaning against her shoulder. The two girls stared up at the sky in silence for a bit before Chihiro spoke quietly.

"It shouldn't matter if you have a gentle personality or not. You're wonderful, Akira. Any guy who can't acknowledge that shouldn't be worth your time."

"…Maybe I should grow out my hair."

At Akira's cheeky statement, Chihiro elbowed her as the two girls laughed. The bell rang just then, and Chihiro got to her feet before turning around and helping Akira up. Holding hands, the two girls made their way back to the classroom only to find to their surprise that everyone but Kei was there.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Akira jerked her head in the direction of Kei's desk as she and Chihiro walked over to where Haku was reading something. Flicking a page casually, Haku replied, "He went to look for you after you stormed out."

Akira blushed a bit at the thought before clearing her throat and shaking her head. She was about to say something when the door banged open. The three friends turned their gazes to the door where Kei stood, panting hard as he used one hand to prop himself up against the doorframe.

"Found…you…" he growled out, before straightening up and marching over to Akira. She stood her ground, glaring defiantly at him until he grabbed her into a hug, completely taking her by surprise.

"I'm sorry for whatever I did, or said. Can we be friends again?" Kei murmured softly, blushing at the embarrassment of hugging a girl in front of the entire class. Akira, for her part, was trying not to faint at this new turn of events.

As much as she hated to admit things, it wasn't entirely Kei's fault for her behavior. She knew that she was equally to blame in the fact that she'd never mentioned her feelings for him or even hinted at them.

"Y-yeah," Akira managed to get out after a minute, her face entirely red. "I forgive you."

Haku smiled and looked out the window, and Chihiro clapped her hands together with a laugh as she said, "Great! Let's all go out tonight to celebrate!"

* * *

**Thanks for being patient with my lame posting skills XD Inspiration can be fleeting for certain stories, so I write really spastically for this one. Anyways, thanks for the reads and reviews, and I'll try to start posting more!**


	17. Chapter 16

"Come on, you have to sing at least once!" Kei pleaded with Chihiro, throwing an arm around her and offering her the microphone.

"Oh, I couldn't," she insisted, waving her hands and looking pleadingly at where Akira was eating some snacks. Seeing she was going to get no help from her friend, Chihiro waved her hands even more frantically and said, "After all, Akira is the one who likes to sing the most so why don't you let her sing? Or sing with her?"

At Chihiro's last suggestion, Akira began to cough (nearly choking on her food) while Kei threw his head back and laughed.

"Akira? Sing with me? Chihiro, you're so-"

Before he could finish he was hit in the face with the songbook and Akira's voice rang haughtily through the room as she said, "Sing with me, Kei. Chihiro wants to hear it."

Kei glared over at her before shrugging and saying, "Oh fine, if Chihiro wants it I guess we can sing together."

Leaving Chihiro's side, Kei got up and plopped down next to Akira, where the two began to promptly argue loudly about what they were going to sing. While Chihiro giggled at the sight of them getting along the same way they always did, Haku quietly re-entered the room and sat down next to her.

"What are they up to?" he asked, motioning over to where the two friends were finally deciding on a song. Chihiro smiled at them before leaning back and casually leaning against Haku.

"Arguing over a song to sing," she told him, and Haku's eyes widened before he said, "I didn't know you were supposed to argue with someone you like."

Akira stopped listening to Kei's talking for a second and focused entirely on what Haku was saying.

"Huh?" Chihiro asked, obviously confused.

"Well, I mean, Akira-"

Not giving Haku time to finish his sentence Akira tackled him to the ground and hissed, "You. Me. Outside. NOW." Before anyone could react to the sudden tackle, Akira stood up holding Haku's arm and said, "We'll be back really quick, I have a question to ask one of the employees. I'll just take Haku with me really quickly, so you two stay here okay?!"

Rushing him out of the room, Akira dragged him down the hallway until they were far away from the karaoke room. Then, she let go of him and gasped for breath while Haku winced and massaged his arm.

"You're a lot stronger than you look," he muttered, and Akira blushed a bit in embarrassment before saying, "Sorry. But never mind that, what were you going to tell Chihiro?"

"What? That you like Kei?"

Akira frantically slapped Haku in the face as she put her hands to his mouth and hissed, "Shut up! What if they come out and hear…oh, sorry." She apologized as she let her hands lower and Haku frowned, rubbing his cheek.

"I thought Chihiro knew?"

"No one knows, not even Chihiro. I started to like Kei when the two of us were trying to help Chihiro cope with her loss…the two of us spent so much time together, and he was always there being so positive and optimistic for me when I felt terrible because our best friend couldn't remember a thing. How am I supposed to tell Chihiro that I like him when she's still trying to deal with things? I can't add to the problem of her mom, and her problem of trying to remember you. "

"I think Chihiro wouldn't mind if you told her. If anything, knowing her she'd be happy about it because she's your friend and she cares about you."

"I can't tell her!" Akira squealed before letting her shoulders droop in defeat. With a sigh, she knocked her forehead lightly before saying, "Look, just don't say anything about it, okay? It's my thing…and I have to deal with it my way. Besides, Kei doesn't have eyes for me, so even if I said something nothing would change."

Haku gave her a pitying look before saying, "Can I give you a word of advice?" Not giving her time to say yes or no, he continued, "You can only look for so long, if you really love him. Soon you'll be unable to stand it, and you'll mess up the friendship you have if you get to the point where you're so conscious of him that you don't act the same way anymore."

Akira blinked as Haku turned on his heel and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back towards the karaoke room. She hadn't expected that; although when she thought about it, it was definitely something someone as serious as Haku would say.

Just before they entered the room, Akira took a deep breath before smiling to herself.

She'd have to thank him for the advice later.


	18. Chapter 17

As Chihiro and Haku walked back together (after Akira had grabbed Kei and dragged him off in a different direction), the two laughed as they recalled the fun they'd had that night.

"I can't believe you're such a good singer!" Chihiro said, and Haku blushed a little before saying, "I'm not THAT good. You're much better."

"Stop being so shy about it," Chihiro teased, smiling when she saw his blush as he tried to deny it and push the compliments back on her.

As the neared the house, Chihiro hesitated before asking, "So…do I get another story tonight?"

Haku smiled as he remembered their deal. Closing his eyes, he stretched and said, "Of course; I promised you at least one story every week, right? Who do you want to hear about tonight?"

Chihiro stuck the key in the lock and listened to the satisfying click it made before she opened the door and walked in. As the two kicked off their shoes, Chihiro mused aloud.

"Hmmm…well I guess…I'd like to hear about this witch you spoke of. The one who runs the bathouse for the spirits, that is."

Haku shuddered before laughing grimly and saying, "That's a scary story. But I'll tell you. Go put on some pajamas first though."

"Are you supposed to be my mother?" Chihiro giggled, but then blushed when Haku leaned in close and winked at her, saying, "No, but if you fall asleep I'd like to be able to carry you to bed and have you be comfortable."

Blushing immensely, Chihiro stepped back towards her room before running up the stairs yelling over her shoulder to a smirking Haku, "O-okay! Don't get so close and say such embarrassing things at the same time!"

When Chihiro came down she blushed as she took in the sight of Haku sitting on her couch in a loose white t-shirt and a pair of pajama pants he'd bought after she'd insisted on him buying some different clothes.

She still wasn't used to the idea of living with him, but the thought of him on the street as winter approached wasn't appealing either.

As she stepped through the doorway, Haku looked up from the book he'd been reading and smiled at her.

"Cute," he told her simply, and she blushed and went to sit across from him, smacking him lightly on her way.

"Don't say such embarrassing things, please."

"I can't help it; I just say what I think. And I think you're cute."

"Just…start the story already."

Haku laughed softly as Chihiro patted her red cheeks, and he looked down with a smile before beginning in on his story.

"The witch that runs the bathouse is named Yubaba. When you were there, she named you, 'Sen' and made you work for her so that you wouldn't be turned into an animal like your parents had been."

"Why were my parents turned into animals? And what animals were they?"

"They were turned into pigs for their greediness; they ate all the food laid out for the spirits."

Chihiro shuddered and rubbed her arms as she muttered, "Well…as ridiculous as this sounds, that might be why I don't like pigs. They kind of…frighten me, but make me sad at the same time. Akira and Kei always told me that I was being silly, being so afraid of them and that they never knew why I didn't like them."

Haku smiled; her reaction to his words wasn't what he had feared. After all, convincing a human of the Spirit World's reality was hard enough. Convincing that human that they'd once been a part of it was even harder, but Chihiro was surprisingly open to receiving all the information he had.

With a small cough, Haku said, "May I continue?" When Chihiro nodded, he cleared his throat and started in again on his description. Just as he finished describing her appearance and her vicious, greedy personality, Chihiro asked, "If she's so evil, why did you work for her?"

Haku smiled at her sadly, letting his hand drift to her hair which fell on her shoulders. Letting a few strands slip through his fingers, he sighed, "I had no choice. The first time, maybe, but when I returned to work for her again I really didn't have any other options. It was the only way I was able to appear here, in the human world."

At this revelation, Chihiro blinked before pointing at the amulet around his neck, saying, "Then she gave you that bottle with the stones?"

"Something like that. She promised me that for every year I worked for her, she'd put a magic stone in the bottle and that each magic stone would equal a month of living in the human world. Because I worked seven years, she gave me seven stones."

"That's not very fair…honestly, seven years' work for only seven months?"

"I told you. I had no other choice. Although her sister's powers are just as great, Yubaba has always dabbled more in the darker arts, and being able to transform…well, ME into a form that humans can see and hear took a lot of magic and effort on her part as well."

Chihiro looked at him suspiciously before saying slowly, "What do you mean by that? You're human like me, aren't you?"

At that, Haku coughed to hide a laughed before saying, "No, I'm not. I'm a river spirit."

The two stared at each other, Haku willing her to believe him while Chihiro tried to reason with herself. Why did she believe him so much? Why didn't she find any of this harder to believe?

Unable to stand it any longer, and her head already beginning to pound, Chihiro abprutly stood up before stuttering, "I…I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow, Haku. Good night."

As he watched her walk quickly out of the room, he whispered, "Good night, Chihiro."

* * *

**Ha HA! Take that, procrastination! XD I worked past my writing block and managed to churn out another two chapters, so I hoped you enjoyed them :)**

**Honestly, I can kind of see Chihiro as half believing him (faint memories and all that) but all the same wondering to herself if she's going crazy because he says such ridiculous things but is so serious about them. **

**Meh. Anyways, thanks for the reads and reviews as usual :) Feel free to leave any thoughts or comments for my improvement or whatever! :) **


	19. Chapter 18

The two girls were working on homework in the library when Akira brought up the subject of Christmas.

"Have you thought about what you're doing for Christmas this year?" she asked Chihiro, tapping the edge of her friend's notebook to get her attention. At the mention of the holiday, Chihiro blushed a little before mumbling, "I was thinking…I might go out that night with Haku. It would be…nice…"

Akira giggled and fondly ruffled her friend's hair.

"That would be nice. You two have really been getting along, especially since," she glanced around and saw Kei picking through books on a nearby shelf, "well, since last month."

Chihiro nodded, a pleased blush still on her face. Already she and Haku had been living together for a month, and she found herself truly enjoying coming home for the first time since she could remember. All the stories he told her may have been confusing and made her question lots of things, but all the same she enjoyed them.

And ever since Haku had come, Chihiro had been having more and more vivid dreams, and she'd become even more spaced out than usual.

Akira smirked at the expression Chihiro was making, and she slyly grabbed at her friend's notebook, noticing the beginning of a drawing. At that, Chihiro snapped out of her daze and frantically whispered, "A-Akira! Give it back!"

Her friend held the notebook out of sight with a teasing grin before dancing out of reach and looking down at what had caught her eye. The grin froze on Akira's face and turned into an expression of awe as she took in the drawing that Chihiro had been working on.

Chihiro stepped towards her friend, about to grab the notebook when Kei came up behind Akira and rested his arms against her shoulders.

"Wow! Chihiro, did you draw that?" Kei whispered loudly, pointing at the notebook in Akira's hands. Akira, for her part, was so entranced with the drawing that she didn't even blush at the proximity of Kei. Chihiro, giving up on getting her notebook back by force, just blushed furiously before nodding and clutching at her skirt.

Kei smiled at her blush, thinking it cute before looking back down at the picture. It was a sketch of a sleek dragon; the mane flowed as if caught by a breeze, and the eyes burned with an intensity that Kei had never seen before. It was truly an amazing drawing, and Kei found himself even more attracted to Chihiro than he had before at this newfound talent of hers.

Leaving Akira's side, he went up to Chihiro and casually grabbed her waist. Pulling her close he looked down at her and whispered, "I never knew you could draw so well. Have you been hiding that talent from us all these years?"

Chihiro laughed before trying to push Kei away from her, saying, "It's not that big a deal…I can only draw well if it's something I've seen before so many times. And lately, I keep meeting that dragon that I drew. That is, in my dreams." She blushed a little at her last words, realizing how weird she sounded.

Kei pinched her cheek lightly and smiled down at her with a gentle expression, just as Akira finally tore her eyes away from Chihiro's drawing and looked up. Watching Kei tease a now blushing Chihiro, Akira bit her lip before shoving the notebook back at her friend.

"It's amazing, Chihiro. You should do art club or something, I think you'd have fun."

"Come on Akira," Chihiro laughed as she finally pushed a pouting Kei off her, "You know I could never do that. I've got to spend my afternoons either working or visiting my mom."

Akira was about to say more when Haku finally entered the library, looking flustered. As he walked up to the group, Chihiro ran over to his side, which caused Kei to frown.

"Where have you been? We were waiting to study with you," Chihiro said, grabbing Haku's arm casually and pulling him back towards the table where their studying supplies still lay. Haku just shook his head, giving them a worn out smile.

"Sensei really doesn't know how to do thing properly sometimes," he offered by way of explanation, and the conversation turned to their sometimes air-headed homeroom teacher.

After an hour of studying, everyone was packing their things when Kei pulled Chihiro to the side, hissing, "Hey, I need to ask you something. Come with me." While the two of them walked off towards the far side of the library, Haku noticed Akira's hand clench tightly into a fist.

Patting her hand, he smiled at her encouragingly before saying, "Don't mind it. If you're worried about him trying to spend Christmas with her, then you shouldn't be. Chihiro's all mine."

Akira chuckled at Haku's obvious confidence before sighing, "I just don't know how you do it, Haku."

"Do what?"

"How you have so much confidence that you'll get Chihiro to not only remember you, but be in love with you. I don't understand it; you have such blind faith that you two are meant to be."

"I wouldn't call it blind faith. It's simple, really. I've waited seven years for her, and I don't plan on giving up just because of a few setbacks. Besides," and here he grinned, "when you really love someone you dedicate yourselves to them, and that makes all the effort worth it."

Akira blinked at his profound statement before smiling back.

"You say the weirdest, most philosophical things for a teenager sometimes, you know that?"


	20. Chapter 19

As the two walked past the bookshelves, Chihiro idly let her fingers drift across the books' spines until Kei cleared his throat. Chihiro turned to face him, looking surprised as he fidgeted nervously with his hands before clearing his throat once more.

It was as if the words he wanted to say were somehow stuck in his throat. Kei took a deep breath, then grabbed Chihiro's hands and said, "Hey, Chihiro…?"

A little shocked by this sudden gesture, Chihiro withdrew her hand slowly before smiling nervously and asking, "Yeah, Kei?"

He fidgeted even more before shutting his eyes tightly and muttering, "Wanna go on a date with me? For Christmas?"

Chihiro blinked as the word 'date' registered in her mind. Then she blinked again, finding herself unable to comprehend what he'd just said. Quickly, she shot a look over at the other side of the library where Akira was ruffling up Haku's hair, the two of them grinning and joking about something.

Seeing her looking over at Haku, Kei grit his teeth before grabbing her hand again, pulling her closer.

"A date. Come on, it can't be that bad, can it?"

"I…I don't know. Doesn't a date mean….?"

Not giving her a chance to answer, Kei pulled away and walked off with a happy grin and a wave, calling over his shoulder to her in a loud whisper, "I'll see you in front of the station on Christmas Eve at eight, okay?"

Chihiro, confused out of her mind, ran over to where Akira and Haku were waiting as Kei disappeared through the door. Hurriedly she grabbed Akira's hand and all but dragged her out the door, barely throwing a 'see you later' over her shoulder to Haku.

He sat back and watched them disappear through the door before noting that neither of the girls had grabbed their bags or things and taken them along. Slowly, he packed up their things before heading out the door, taking the bags with him.

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Up on the roof, Chihiro slammed the door behind them before panting hard. The two had sprinted up all the stairs, and accordingly so were both out of breath. Akira was the first to get her breath back, being the stronger of the two girls. Leaning against the railing, she patted Chihiro's head with a laugh before saying, "Calm down! What's wrong?"

Chihiro turned to look at her friend, finally managing to gasp out, "Kei…Kei…Kei…"

Akira froze before looking down, her hair covering her eyes so that Chihiro was unable to see them as she said, "What about Kei, Chihiro?"

Chihiro took a deep breath before bursting out, "I don't know! He just asked me…I don't know."

"Did he ask you on a date?"

Chihiro looked up at Akira's quiet voice, before her face drained of all color. Slowly, she took a step towards her friend holding a hand out before saying slowly, "Akira…you couldn't possibly…"

Akira jerked away from her friend's hand before looking up, grinning to hide the pain as her heart seemed to twist.

"I'm just guessing, that's all. I mean, it was pretty obvious that he likes you, Chihiro."

"You knew about this?"

"I guessed. Anyways, what do you plan on doing about it?"

Akira bit her lip as she watched Chihiro frown and walk up to the railing, staring out into the distance. In a voice so faint that Akira could barely hear it, Chihiro whispered, "I can't. I just can't."

Her heart seemed to drop in relief, before Akira remembered that even if Chihiro didn't love Kei, Kei still loved Chihiro. Sighing, Akira leaned back on the rail and tugged at Chihiro's ponytail to grab her friend's attention.

"I know you can't. But you also can't leave him there at the station by himself, especially on Christmas. That idiot will freeze to death if you leave him there, you know. You have to do SOMETHING about it, Chihiro."

"I'll have to say no. I'll have to refuse him. But Christmas is coming up too soon, and you know how he always gets so busy this time of year. There's no way that he'll answer his phone, and I won't be able to find him at home since he'll probably be working extra shifts."

The two girls fell into silence before Chihiro straightened up, an excited grin on her face.

"Akira, why don't YOU go in my place? Just meet him there, and explain everything!"

At that, Akira blushed furiously before leaping back and waving her hands, stuttering out, "Ch-Chihiro you know I can't just do that…and it'd crush poor Kei…" Akira's words were cut off as Chihiro's cellphone beeped.

Flipping it open, Chihiro scanned the screen before smiling and grabbing her friend's hand, sure the problem was resolved.

"You and Kei will have fun together! Now, let's go to my house; Haku says he's got our bags and that he's made dinner."

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**Progress in the next few days will be slow but sure, so you may have to wait a bit for the next update XD Sorry! Anyways, thanks for the reads and reviews :) I'll update as soon as I can, promise!**


	21. Chapter 20

Christmas night came all too soon for both Akira and Chihiro. As the clock struck seven thirty, Akira turned to her friend with a worried look, pulling at the skirt that Chihiro had all but forced her into for the night.

"Don't you think it's a bit…over the top?" Akira said with a breathless laugh, a nervous blush painting her cheeks as Haku stuck his head out from Chihiro's kitchen and gave her a thumbs up. Chihiro reached up, fluffing the bow she'd tied in her friend's hair before looking Akira in the eye with a big grin.

"Go for it," she told her, clasping her firmly on the shoulder. "You're even more beautiful than usual Akira, and you should be proud of it! You'd better head down to the station now, otherwise you'll end up being late."

Ignoring Akira's stutters and protests, Chihiro all but pushed her friend out the door before turning the lock with a satisfying click. She sighed, resting her forehead against the door as she murmured, "Honestly…he better not make Akira cry."

Chihiro's eyes opened in surprise as she felt a pair of arms wind themselves around her waist, before Haku's voice said close to her ear, "Oh, so you know too?"

She blushed at their proximity before turning around and scolding Haku while she blushed furiously.

"L-let go! You're too close!"

"No such thing."

"Haku, let go!"

He obliged, although he let go of her waist hesitantly, grinning as he gestured back towards the kitchen. Without a word to him, Chihiro marched past and sat down at the table, grumbling under her breath while Haku walked around and came out with their food.

As the two sat down and began eating, Chihiro cleared her throat and picked at her food.

"What do you know about Akira and Kei that I don't?"

Haku kept eating, shrugging as if he knew nothing although in reality he felt as if he knew a bit too much.

"Nothing of interest. If they haven't said anything, I'm certainly not going to say anything."

Chihiro opened her mouth, all prepared to argue when Haku tilted his head with another grin in her direction. Freezing up at the grin, she eyed him suspiciously as he leaned forward, reaching out to touch her hair gently.

"I…got you a present. That's what you do for Christmas, right? You get people you love presents, don't you?"

Chihiro blushed before waving her hands frantically in front of her face, avoiding the look that Haku was giving her.

"You're way too forward about everything, you know?"

Haku just shrugged before pushing his chair back and getting up, walking over to where Chihiro sat fidgeting with her hands. Kneeling by her chair, he pulled a small red box out from his pocket and held it up to her, not saying a thing.

She blushed all the more, before slowly reaching out and taking the tiny box.

"Can I…?" Chihiro asked hesitantly, wondering what was inside. Haku nodded, watching as the wrapping paper fell to the ground in bits and pieces as her eager hands opened the box.

Chihiro gasped at the necklace that lay inside, grabbing the cord and holding the gift up to the light to observe the pretty, heart shaped pendant which hung in the middle of the necklace.

"It's so…pretty," she said breathlessly. "Where did you get it?"

"I've had it for awhile now. I brought it back with me from the Spirit World…in hopes that you'd wear it and return with me."

Chihiro blinked before looking down at where Haku sat, fiddling nervously with his thumbs as he said, "Chihiro, I only have three months left. As soon as spring arrives…I can't be here with you anymore. Are you willing to come with me, even if you still don't remember?"

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Kei scanned the area, frowning as he checked his watch for the umpteenth time. True, he was a good ten minutes early, but all the same he found himself worrying that Chihiro wouldn't show up at all. As he turned to take in more of the station, he collided with a small figure.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he muttered, going to help the girl up when he noticed the familiar brown hair. When Akira looked up at him, blinking in surprise, Kei felt the blood rush to his face as he leapt back and cleared his throat.

He hadn't expected to see her at all…let alone looking the way she did now. This was one of the few times that he'd actually seen his friend looking like a girl-and a cute girl at that. The idea that she was on a date herself caused him to frown for a second, before Kei shook his head and wondered why it bothered him so much.

Turning to where Akira was brushing off her skirt, he cleared his throat and looked at her haughtily before saying, "Don't tell me you're here on a date too?"

Akira bit back a laugh at his manner, knowing that he was probably on the edge by now waiting for his own date to start. Casually, she sidled up to him before saying, "Actually, I am here on a date."

She was pleased when Kei pouted, before he shrugged and said, "Well, that's cool I guess. I'm just waiting for Chihiro."

Akira clenched her hand into a fist to keep her face from twisting into an ugly expression as she said, "Well, wait all you want because she's not coming." She watched as the color drained from Kei's face and he sunk to the ground, resting his arms on his knees as he looked up at her.

In a dead sort of voice, he said, "Not…coming?"

Akira nodded, feeling bad for him as she bent down to be eye to eye with him, saying, "Yeah. Actually, she sent me in her place because she knew she wouldn't be able to contact you in time. She's spending Christmas with Haku."

At the mention of Kei's rival, he shook his head frantically before standing up, grabbing Akira's wrist and pulling her to her feet.

"Come on," he said emphatically, pulling her along, "You and I will just have to have fun tonight then."


	22. Chapter 21

Chihiro and Haku sat by the fire, facing each other across the coffee table as she fingered the pendant which now dangled around her neck.

Rather than answering Haku's question from before, Chihiro had avoided it and instead asked to be told another story, to which her friend had obliged. The idea of leaving for wherever it was Haku was going had her slightly terrified, as she wasn't sure what was actually going to happen if she agreed to go with him.

As the two settled down comfortably in their seats, Haku laughed silently before asking, "Why do you have to sit all the way over there? Surely you'd be warmer if you sat next to me…"

He took pleasure in the fact that she blushed before slowly getting up and plopping down next to him without a remark. Putting his arm lightly around her shoulders, he leaned back against her couch before staring into the fireplace and clearing his throat.

"Remember the day you asked me where you got this hair braid?" Haku asked, pointing at the shiny band which hung from Chihiro's slender wrist. She nodded, and he continued, "Well, I can probably tell you more about it now. At least, more about Zeniba since you've already heard about No Face and the others."

"That's right…you did mention a Zeniba. What was she like?"

"Grandmotherly. If I had to describe her in a word, that would be it; she was the one who I stole that seal from. Despite the fact that I robbed her of her seal, when you brought it back she was exceptionally kind to you and the others.

"In the Spirit World, I visit her from time to time. Actually, now that I think about it she once said something to you that might help you a bit now."

"Really?" Chihiro blinked, straightening up and looking at Haku with a sort of excitement. Haku closed his eyes, thinking hard before saying, "'Memories are never forgotten. They are just hard to recall.'"

Chihiro blinked again before remaining quiet, the words running through her head. It was an idea she'd never thought of before. To think that she'd really hadn't forgotten everything was reassuring in a way she'd never imagined.

She was about to question him more when she noticed he was looking up with a mischievous smile, some mistletoe dangling in his hand.

"You know," he said in a voice that had her instantly blushing, "I've heard all sorts of funny things about human traditions at Christmas. I could be wrong…but aren't people supposed to kiss when they're under this?"

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As the two stood on the subway, Akira shifted uncomfortably as she was pushed by another boarder onto Kei's chest. She was about to apologize and stand up on her own when she felt his arm go around her back and he looked down, muttering, "It's not a problem, Akira." He then gave her a grin, as if to say 'because we're such good friends'.

She wasn't sure whether or not to be happy about that.

When they got off, Kei let go of her and walked briskly towards a where a concert of sorts was being held. Akira, stumbling after him in high heels that she wasn't used to wearing, managed to catch up just as the two got to the edge of the crowd.

"A park concert? What band is this, putting a concert on here at Christmas?" she breathed, and Kei looked down with another smile.

"My band," he said simply, and Akira looked up at him in surprise as he grabbed her hand, pulling her to the front. When they were at the edge of the crowd, Kei leapt up the steps and onto the platform where his band members were waiting.

The crowd roared, and he grabbed a microphone from the drummer before turning to face them. As he threw off his coat in a random direction, he looked at his audience with a surprisingly mature look as he said in a low voice, "So glad you could make it tonight."

Girls squealed at his words, and Akira found herself looking up at her friend with an intense blush on her face. Was this the present he had meant to give to Chihiro?

With a smile, Kei continued to speak, saying, "We're here to perform our newest song; Only You. I'd like to say that this song is dedicated to someone very special to me"- here the girls all began to mutter to each other, looks of disappointment on their face-"but she isn't here tonight. Anyways, here we go!"

As the music rose and the people began to clap their hands along to the beat, Akira felt her smile drop off her face. She knew exactly who this song was for. While Kei sang of a 'long-time love' and having 'waited so long for this moment', Akira felt her heart sinking more and more. When the song came to a close, everyone applauded loudly and the band members all waved before getting off the platform and moving their equipment.

The crowd began to disperse, but as Kei bounded down the steps towards Akira several of the fans rushed up to him. Akira found herself caught up in a wave of fans as the girls pushed around her and Kei, all of them screaming and grabbing at her friend.

With a 'tch' Kei grabbed Akira's hand and pulled her away, the two of them running off further into the park before he pulled them into a set of bushes. As the footsteps of fans clattered past, the two friends panted heavily in an attempt to get their breath back. By the time Akira could breathe again, it was silent all around and it was just her and Kei.

He was the first to speak, leaning back against a tree trunk with his arms behind his head.

"So, what did you think of it?" he asked, slightly nervous about her opinion. Akira adjusted her sitting position before looking at her friend.

"I didn't even know you were in a band…let along that you had so many followers. Why didn't you tell us?"

"It was supposed to be a surprise for Chihiro…and I mean, I was going to tell you too but I kind of wanted her to know first. Guess I didn't calculate someone like Haku showing up and taking up all her time and attention."

Akira was silent at that, but she clutched at her shirt she felt the inside of her chest twisting more and more with each word he said. Looking down, she grabbed the grass with her other hand, tearing some off as she said in a quiet voice, "Kei?"

"Mmmm?"

"How long have you liked Chihiro anyways?"

At this, Kei blushed and scratched his cheek, sitting up as he said thoughtlessly, "I don't really know. Probably since the first day I met her."

He didn't notice as Akira's hand tore into the grass harder as she asked even more quietly, "Why do you like Chihiro?"

"I'd have to say…it's probably because of how bright and optimistic she is. She's also gentle, and kind, and delicate and somehow that makes me want to protect her and always be there for her."

Akira's voice was barely above a whisper as she said, "What about me?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want to protect me?"

Kei laughed, jostling her. "You're so strong you don't need protecting! But…" he said, sobering up, "if anyone ever hurt you I wouldn't allow it. I'd hate for you to be hurt."

At his words, Akira began to laugh. First it was quietly, but as her tears built up and ran down her cheeks her laughter increased until her voice echoed around the empty park. Kei looked at her in shock as she laughed hysterically, wiping her eyes as she said in a broken voice, "You'd hate for me to be hurt? Well then, why don't you really look at me, Kei? Why can't you tell that you've been hurting me all this time?"

Kei could only stare, his words stuck in his throat as she continued on raggedly. "I've loved you for so long, but you've never even seen me once. It's always been Chihiro; and I thought that was okay because she needed you more than I did, but even now that she has someone else you still won't look at me. I've never meant anything to you, have I?"

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As Chihiro blushed, Haku leaned in a little more until their noses were touching.

"Is it…okay?" he asked slowly, his breath tickling her face as he tilted his head ever so slightly, closing his eyes partially. Chihiro found herself reacting to his actions, her own eyes beginning to close.

In a whisper, she said, "Yes."

The instant she felt a cool sensation on her lips, she let her hand fall to the floor, where somehow his fingers intertwined with hers.

As their connection continued, her head began to pound lightly at first, before flashes of white burst like fireworks behind her eyelids. Chihiro wondered if this was because of the way she was feeling, or whether it was another part of a memory returning to her.

First she saw the dragon again, the white scales glowing as it bowed its head; then she saw a tall woman with long brown hair and a feisty face, her pink clothes seeming all too familiar. And then Chihiro found her head truly pounding as she looked out across a vast ocean, a train's light growing small in the distance.

With a gasp, Chihiro jerked back from Haku and opened her eyes to see his blushing, but concerned face.

"Is something wrong?" he said in a low voice, his free hand reaching up to touch her cheek gently as Chihiro felt the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

Shaking her head, she mumbled, "It's not…It's not you I just…Haku, I don't understand it. How can all these things that I keep seeing even be real, it's just not possible-"

She was interrupted as he smoothly kissed her again before pulling back slightly and murmuring against her lips, "Anything's possible, Chihiro. You of all people should know that the best."

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**I had serious internal debate with myself yesterday about what I've been doing with my entire summer XD Oh well: I regret nothing :) Thanks to all the reads and reviews, and feel free to leave your thoughts! :) Until the next update!**


	23. Chapter 22

As Akira sat trembling, tears running down her cheeks Kei bit his lip. He had never expected something like this to happen; and he now knew that his attitude towards her all these years had only been making things worse.

Here he thought he'd protect her from getting hurt when all along, he was the one hurting her.

"Akira," he began, reaching out towards where she sat sobbing with a cautious hand. Jerking away from his hand, she said, "I've told you how I feel…what are you going to do about it, Kei? Can you return my feelings?"

Kei's hand shook, and he dropped it to the ground before turning it into a fist as he shaded his eyes with his hair and stared at the grass. As Akira swiped at her eyes with her arm, he said in a cracked voice, "I can't. I can't return your feelings, Akira. How am I supposed to stop loving someone that I've loved for so long?"

At his words, Akira inhaled sharply, causing him to look up as she rose to her feet. With a look on his face, Kei stood up and reached out again, saying, "Akira…"

Slapping his hand away, Akira turned on her heel and ran back the way the two had come before. Kei chased after her, but when he came to the station he found that he'd lost sight of her in the crowd that mulled about, sounds of laughter nearly everywhere.

Sinking to the ground with his head in his hands, Kei gripped his hair tightly and clenched his teeth.

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Chihiro flinched as Haku's lips moved from her own to the corners of her eyes, where her tears were still forming. As she moved her hand to dry her eyes, she blushed furiously when Haku held her hands down and kissed the corner of her eyes.

"Don't cry," he said softly, before pulling back and giving her a brilliant smile. "It'll be alright, I promise. You'll figure this out."

Chihiro looked down, still unsure as she let her fingers entwine with Haku's once more. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before she looked up and opened her mouth to say something. Before she could say a word however, there was a frantic pounding on her door.

When Haku opened the door, he was astonished to see that Kei was at her doorstep, gasping for breath. He tensed himself to be yelled at by Kei, but instead the young man pushed him aside calling, "Chihiro! Chihiro, where are you!?"

Dashing out of the living room, Chihiro ran up to Kei with a worried look on her face as she took in his panicked expression.

"Kei, what's wrong? What happened; where's Akira?"

At the mention of Akira's name, Kei flinched before looking down and trembling, his hands clenching into fists.

"I don't know where she is. That's what I came here to ask you-I just called her house and apparently she's not at home either. I thought she'd be here, after what happened but…"

Chihiro dropped to the floor in a daze, her legs giving out as the thought of Akira being lost registered with her. Slowly, she looked up at Kei and asked quietly, "What happened, Kei?"

She watched as Kei slowly shook his head, backing out of her house and back into the snowy night.

"No….I can't…I can't tell you…"

With a cry, Chihiro leapt to her feet and charged after him, knocking him into the snow as she grabbed the front of his shirt roughly. Her eyes wild, she screamed, "What happened!?"

Kei put his arms on her shoulders and felt her trembling, before holding her back at arm's length and sinking to his knees. His hands on the cold ground, he said, "I told her the truth."

"What truth? Kei, stop beating around the bush and just tell me what happened!"

"I TOLD HER THE TRUTH!" Kei yelled, his head snapping up as his eyes flashed and burned, looking into Chihiro's frightened face. "I TOLD HER THAT I LOVE YOU!"

As silence encased the area, Chihiro began to quiver as she backed away from him, slowly shaking her head as if in doing so she could deny it. Kei watched as his friend brought a trembling hand to her chest, where it clutched a necklace he'd never seen before fiercely.

Muttering and mumbling, Chihiro stumbled backwards into Haku's arms where he caught her as she whispered, "You're just joking…right? This is all some big prank you two are playing on me…Akira will show up any minute and tell me it was just a joke…"

Getting up slowly, Kei's heart twisted at the painful expression on Chihiro's face and he reached out saying, "Chihiro, please…I...I wasn't joking, I'm serious."

Hearing this, her eyes widened and she pushed away from Haku before dodging back into her house and slamming the door. Both boys listened as they heard her footsteps pound up the stairs and they watched as her bedroom light flickered on and her curtains shut.

Gritting his teeth again, Kei turned his gaze to where Haku stood looking at him coldly. With a pained laugh, Kei turned his back to Haku and said, "Do you feel sorry for me then, because you've won?"

Haku just shook his head as he opened Chihiro's door. Before going inside, he looked at Kei and said in a solemn voice, "I feel sorry for everyone; you, Akira, and Chihiro. Winning has no bearing on that."

As he shut the door quietly and headed up the stairs, Haku clenched his hand into a fist as he realized that everything had just become more complicated.

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**I mean...I feel bad for Kei I really do but he has terrible timing XD Then again, he's pretty torn up over the fact that he's basically been an oblivious jerk and hadn't even registered Akira as a girl**

**Okay, next chapter!**


	24. Chapter 23

It was two in the morning when Chihiro woke up to a light knocking on her door. Sitting up quickly, she remembered the night's previous events and rushed downstairs, opening the door to reveal a dirty and sorry-looking Akira. With a cry, Chihiro threw her arms around her friend's neck before dragging her into the house and calling up the stairs for Haku to wake up.

While Haku made some food for Akira to eat, Chihiro ushered her silent friend to the bathroom where she turned on the shower and let the water run until it was hot. After silently stripping her friend of the dirty clothes, she handed her a new fresh pair and shut the door.

As Akira showered, Chihiro crept into the kitchen and rested her hands on the table, silently giving thanks that her friend was no longer missing and was now with her again. Turning to where Haku was standing at the stove, she walked over and silently wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her forehead against his back.

Haku smiled gently before putting the ladle down and turning around to hug her back, comforting her as she asked, "What's going to happen now, Haku?"

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Akira sat quietly at the table, eating the food without much problem despite the fact that both Haku and Chihiro were trying hard not to stare at her stoic expression. In the little time that Haku had known her, even he could tell that whatever had happened between her and Kei had seriously broken something within her, and it made him sad to see her like this.

Halfway through the silent meal, Akira's fork dropped to the plate and she began to tremble as she looked up and finally met Chihiro's gaze.

"Ch-Chihiro," Akira's voice trembled, and Chihiro jumped out of her seat and ran over to her friend, grasping her hand.

"Akira, it's okay. You're gonna be alright, just calm down!"

If anything, Chihiro's words seemed to have the opposite effect as Akira let out a scream before grabbing her head in her hands and rocking back and forth furiously.

"Chihiro, I love him, but why does it hurt so much?" Akira whimpered, and Chihiro sank to her knees as she gently put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Akira, I'm so sorry, I-"

"It hurts, Chihiro. He loves you, and he always has and I thought that was okay because you needed him more than I do…but it still HURTS to know he could never see me as anything more than just a friend. I'm not even a GIRL to him, Chihiro."

Chihiro flinched at her friend's words, and was about to apologize more when Haku stood up, his chair scraping loudly across the floor and causing both girls to look up at him. Standing tall, he sighed and then reached across the table to pat both girls on the head as if to calm them down.

"Let's go to the living room and figure everything out, okay?" he said in a gentle voice, to which both girls nodded meekly before getting up and following him.

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The three friends sat in the living room in crazy positions; Akira was half hanging off the couch, while Chihiro was sprawled out on the floor and Haku was lying spread-eagled on his back. After having spent three hours discussing details and revelations, the three were exhausted at the amount of tears and excitement which had just hit them.

Staring at the ceiling, Haku wondered aloud, "So to recap...Akira has always liked Kei, and Kei has always liked Chihiro. And Chihiro likes me. I like Chihiro back, so we're happy. But now Chihiro doesn't know how to act around Kei, and Akira doesn't know how to act around him either.

"Basically…we're excluding him?"

At this both girls shot up from the positions and exclaimed, "We can't exclude him! He's still…our friend…"

Akira shook her head furiously at the thought of seeing Kei again, while Chihiro rubbed her hands vigorously as if to block out the memory of his confession.

"This is a mess," Akira complained, flopping back on Chihiro's couch and letting her arm fall across her eyes as she did so.

Chihiro was about to agree when they heard a knock on the door before Kei's voice called, "Chihiro? Chihiro, I need to talk to you!"

She groaned and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to her stomach before sending a pleading look in Haku's direction. With a sigh, he got up slowly and walked over to the door before reluctantly opening it. Kei frowned when he saw Haku, his hands clenching into fists as he spat, "What are you doing here?"

Haku raised an eyebrow before saying, "None of your business. Do you want something?"

"…I want to talk to Akira, I know she's here-her parents told me. So let me in."

With a frown, Haku took on a more serious stance as he blocked the doorway, saying in a tone that had Kei flinching, "Over my dead body. You're not wanted here right now; take the hint and leave."

Kei clenched his teeth before yelling, "AKIRA! AKIRA! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!"

Inside the house, Akira's nails dug into a pillow as Chihiro shot her a sympathetic look. Clamping her hands to her ears, Akira closed her eyes and tried to block out the sound of his yells but to no avail.

Kei, not caring at this point if the whole neighborhood could hear him, screamed, "AKIRA I'M SORRY! I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU ANYMORE, CAN YOU PLEASE JUST GET OUT HERE SO I CAN MAKE SURE YOU'RE OKAY?"

Akira curled up and began to mutter fervently, "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter…" While she told herself that, she still felt her chest twist painfully and she closed her eyes again, knowing that despite everything that had happened she still loved him. Hearing him say those things, Akira knew that she'd only feel worse once she faced him again.

Haku was about to shut the door and block out the noise when Kei bellowed, "I'LL KEEP COMING BACK FOR YOU, AKIRA! I'M NOT GIVING UP ON YOU ANYTIME SOON!"

As Haku slammed the door, he frowned and hurried back to the living room where Akira was sitting up, tears running down her cheeks as she sobbed.

"I don't understand…what is that supposed to mean?" she half laughed, half cried. His words had everyone confused, as they'd all assumed that he had been coming to visit Chihiro rather than Akira.

Chihiro bit her lip, wondering what was going to happen when she felt Haku's hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be okay, I promise." he told her, and she gave a silent prayer that he would be right.

* * *

**He feels bad...the guilt...it's seeping into his very SOUL. too dramatic? Maybe just a tad :P But yeah. Guilt everywhere XD Anyways, thanks so much for all the reads and reviews, they're the reason I can keep going on this story even when I feel like there's no hope and that I've written myself into a corner! Thanks also for being patient with me and my short chapters/random posts XD**

Well, until the next update :) Feel free to leave any thoughts you like, and thanks so much for reading!


	25. Chapter 24

As a spring wind blew by and ruffled Haku's hair, he sighed and gripped the bottle tighter. He had but a month left before he would begin to fade from the human world, and that meant he only had a month left to convince Chihiro to go with him. After the mess of Christmas, Akira had gone home and Chihiro had mostly holed herself up in her room.

While she had talked to Haku every night and asked for a story, the two hadn't kissed since and she spent a lot of her time scribbling in her notebook and shaking her head as she stared out the window. It was as if Haku was barely there at her house, although after their moment of affection he'd thought things would've heated up.

He hadn't counted on Kei's or Akira's confessions to throw everything out of wack.

Haku was brooding so much that he flinched when Chihiro tugged at his sleeve, a smile on her face.

"Ready to get to school? Akira said she'd meet us down at the station after avoiding Kei." Chihiro gave a troubled smile. Haku smiled back at her, taking her hand casually and saying, "Can we go like this? Like…a couple?"

He was pleased when she blushed but didn't pull away as they walked out the door, locking it securely as they headed for the station. When they got there they saw Akira looking around nervously, before quickly walking towards them and grabbing onto the edge of Chihiro's bag.

"Geez, I can't even go out of my house anymore without him being there," Akira complained as the three boarded the train and stood near the door. "Every time I look outside he's there, waiting in front of my house to talk to me. What does he want?"

Chihiro sighed and shook her head, saying, "He's been like that all break, hasn't he? Waiting outside your house…you don't think he's going to properly accept your confession?"

At the thought, Akira blushed furiously before frowning and shaking her head emphatically. Looking down, she clenched her hands into fists and said, "He wouldn't change his mind so easily; it's not like him. And I don't want him accepting my confession out of sympathy for me. I don't think I could bear it if he said he'd be with me out of pity."

When the three got to the school, Akira and Chihiro both cringed when they saw Kei leaning against the gate, waiting. He straightened up when he saw them come closer, and he reached out towards Akira first pleading, "Akira, please…just listen to me…"

With a fake, light-hearted laugh Akira walked up to him and to everyone's surprise punched Kei's arm casually as if nothing had happened between them at all.

"There's nothing to listen about," she exclaimed in an entirely too cheerful voice. "We all know how everyone feels, so there's no need to go into anymore detail!"

At that, Kei grabbed her arm and dragged her off the school grounds before Haku or Chihiro could interfere. Chihiro ran a few steps after them as if to stop them, but when Haku grabbed her in a hug she froze.

"Why are you letting them go? You heard what Akira said!"

Haku shook his head, only hugging Chihiro tighter, not wanting to let her go. Somehow, he felt that if she went after them it would not only ruin Kei's chance to speak, but it would make him feel left behind.

"This is their problem. Let them sort it out."

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As Kei dragged Akira, she protested and complained loudly, struggling to break free and head back to the school. Not only was she worried about what he was going to say, but she wasn't sure exactly where he was taking her or what he planned on doing now that the two of them were off school grounds and heading somewhere else.

At the train station, Kei pulled her on the train and held onto her tightly so that she couldn't escape. As the train sped by several different stops, Akira cleared her throat and said in a light tone, "Uh…where are we going? School is back there, and if we miss it things will probably be bad since it's the first day and all."

Kei didn't answer, and Akira lapsed into silence as she wondered what was going to happen. As much as she hated to admit it, the fact that she was with him and alone had her excited even when she knew she should be dreading what was to come.

When the two finally got off, Kei grabbed her hand and walked briskly towards the entrance of an amusement park. After paying for the two of them to get in, he walked over to a secluded looking bench before pushing Akira down on the seat and kneeling in front of her.

"Why didn't you talk to me over break?" he demanded, and Akira forgot about everything that happened and lapsed back into her old self as she pushed him and snorted, "Whatever! As if I could just talk to you after I did something so awkward."

Kei smiled a little before shaking his head and looking down.

"Nah. It was my fault for not noticing for so long. I guess…I just never really thought about it being a possibility. And then when Haku showed up and won her over I was so caught up in my own pity that I STILL couldn't bring myself to look at my own surroundings."

"You ARE kind of an oblivious idiot," Akira agreed, smiling as she crossed her legs, starting to feel a lot better. Kei just looked up and stuck his tongue out at her before standing up and offering her a hand as he said, "I wanted to tell you this, Akira: I can't accept your feelings right now…but I think I can come to accept them in time."

Akira hesitated, before saying, "But what about your feelings for Chihiro?"

Kei shook his head, saying, "I realized a long time ago that it was never going to happen; I guess I was always just holding onto this faint hope that she'd never fall in love with anyone and that someday she'd realize I was there all along. But that's how you feel about me…and Chihiro has Haku now."

"And that means you want me to be the one who just helps you get over your crushing loss?"

"No, that's not it, Akira. It's a little more than that, what I want from you. I want you to be my friend again, but even more than that I want you to prove that what you said to me was true."

At that, Akira blinked before giving him a confused look, asking, "Prove what I said was true?"

Kei grinned and looked at the sky, quoting her as he said, "'I've loved you for so long' I think it was. Assuming that you still love me, you should use those feelings to help me get over Chihiro and get me to fall in love with you. You've never been the type to quit just because things got difficult…are you going to run away now?"

With a defiant smile, Akira grabbed Kei's hand and used it to pull herself to her feet, accepting his challenge as she exclaimed, "I don't run away from challenges, Kei! You'll fall in love with me no matter what!"

Giving his friend another smile, Kei squeezed her hand before saying, "I'm counting on it, Akira. Now, should we go have some fun?"

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On top of the school roof, Chihiro picked at her food, not wanting to eat. When Haku saw that, he scolded her, saying, "Not eating your food isn't going to make things better you know. Stop worrying, I'm sure that they're both fine and are just celebrating getting over it together or something."

Chihiro pouted, knowing that he was probably right but feeling left out nonetheless. Haku smiled, and picked up a piece of food before offering to feed it to her.

"If you're so down about it," he suggested, "why don't we do something fun after school today? You don't have work…and besides, ever since that mess those two created at Christmas we haven't spent much time together."

Chihiro blushed a bit before taking the food he offered and eating. After a minute, she hesitated and replied, "You're right…I'm sorry Haku, nearly all of break was spent by yourself wasn't it? We really should go do something fun. Do you have any ideas? We could go karaoke, or go to a game center…"

Her words faded as a thoughtful look came over Haku's face. She smiled as she watched him thinking, knowing full well that he would come up with something interesting, as he always did. While he thought, Chihiro's gaze fell to the bottle that hung around his neck, and with a shock she noticed that there was only one blue stone left. Before she could bring it up, Haku brightened and gave her a big grin.

"Let's go explore after school today!" he said excitedly, practically bouncing to his feet as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

"Alright," Chihiro agreed with a grin, taking his hand as he pulled her to her feet and through the door.

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Akira and Kei stood out in the hallway, both of them trying to hide their grins of satisfaction as the teacher lectured them thoroughly. As Chihiro and Haku walked down the hallway towards class, they noticed what was happening and quieted down to listen in.

"I can't believe you two were caught playing at a theme park. I expected this much from him maybe, but Akira-san you are one of my brightest students! Explain yourselves!" the teacher hassled the two, glaring threateningly at Kei as if it was all his fault. Seeing that, Akira shifted to put herself slightly in front of Kei, and she was about to defend him and say it was her fault when she found herself unable to speak.

"I'm sorry, Sensei," Kei said smoothly, while covering Akira's mouth with his hand. As he continued speaking, he tugged Akira back behind him and said, "It was my fault; she was on her way to school and I thought that she was feeling a bit down so I dragged her along with me to cheer her up. Please blame me entirely. I will take her punishment, and mine."

From their hiding spot, Haku whispered to Chihiro, "Was he always this chivalrous?"

Chihiro giggled before whispering back, "Not to this extent. But then again, Akira and I have never really gotten into trouble before."

The teacher stared a bit at Kei before remembering that she was in the middle of dishing out a punishment.

"V-very well then," the teacher said uncertainly, "You can serve detention for two weeks; one week for yourself and one week for her. Class will begin in five minutes." Flustered, the teacher turned around and went into the classroom, muttering to herself.

As soon as the door shut, Kei let go of Akira, who sputtered out, "You idiot! What do you think you're doing, trying to be some knight in shining armor?"

Kei just laughed, ruffling her hair as he reminded her, "I told you I'd always protect you if you needed it, didn't I?"

Akira blushed and quieted down, allowing him to pat her on the head while she tried to resist the urge to smile. Not wanting to be left out, Chihiro sprang out from her hiding spot and ran towards the two of them, all but tackling Akira with a hug.

"I was so worried about you two all morning!" Chihiro cried, hugging her friend fiercely while Akira laughed and Haku walked over to them.

"You shouldn't have worried," Akira said to Chihiro, hugging her back. "You knew we were fine."

"Mmmm," Chihiro nodded, before releasing her friend and looking at Kei. Kei saw that she looked nervous, and he smiled before reaching down to pat her on the head as well.

"Sorry, Chihiro," he said with a rueful smile, "But I think I'm gonna have to give up on you. Is that okay with you?"

With a happy smile, Chihiro hugged Kei fiercely before releasing him and saying, "Of course it is! Come on Akira, let's get to our seats before the bell rings."

As the two girls disappeared into the classroom, Haku gave Kei a look. "That was a quick change of heart," Haku said, a hand on his hip. "I didn't know you could give up so easily."

Kei looked down, biting his lip as he shot back, "It isn't easy; I still haven't really given up on her, just like I still don't have feelings for Akira. That's going to take some time. But I figured that since she has you, she doesn't need me anymore…and I'm going to give up on her eventually, and move on with Akira. Does that make me a bad person?"

Haku smiled and clapped Kei on the back, taking the latter by surprise.

"No," Haku said, "It makes you a stronger person. Moving on with someone else isn't always a bad thing, so long as you're actually moving on with that person and not just using them. Maybe you don't see Akira that way just yet…but I can tell that you definitely care about her. And those feelings can only grow if you continue to go on the way you are now.

"After all, falling in love is part of growing as a person, isn't it?"

Kei grit his teeth before looking up and giving Haku a smile, offering him a handshake by way of peach offering. Haku took it, and the two of them exchanged nods before entering the classroom together.

* * *

**Apologies for only offering one chapter today! I tried to make it a long chapter though...so I hope it was enjoyed. Haku and Chihiro still haven't gone on their little 'date' so I have to plan that all out for them before posting :)**

On a side note, the other day I was browsing through pictures on deviantart and saw this really cool picture of Howl (from Howl's Moving castle which is only like my favorite movie ever) and Kiki (from Kiki's delivery service). Howl was balancing on her broomstick and she looked like she was having fun and it was a cute picture and it got me thinking-what if Howl and Kiki were best friends? So, I wrote a note to the artist and she said I could use her picture for the next story I plan on putting up: Rules of Being a Best Friend. I don't know how many of you guys have seen those two movies, but I would really like to know if you guys would be interested in reading something like that! Please let me know cause if not enough people want to read it I might as well not post it XD 

**Anyways, thanks for putting up with my obscenely long author note; I'll post more on this as soon as I can. Thanks so much for all the reads and reviews, you guys keep me motivated! :D**


	26. Chapter 25

"So…where are we going?" Chihiro asked as Haku grabbed her hand and lightly pulled her along behind him. With a grin, he just looked over his shoulder and winked at her, saying, "That's a surprise." He chuckled a bit to himself when she turned red at his wink.

When the two reached the edge of the woods, Chihiro slipped her hand out of Haku's. Slowly, she walked towards the entry before her head began to pound again and she muttered, "Why is this place so familiar?"

Rather than answering, Haku offered her his hand again. Without hesitating, Chihiro took it and allowed him to pull her into the shaded area. As the two walked silently through the trees, Haku took a deep breath and smiled broadly before his expression darkened and he clutched at the pendant around his neck.

He knew that no matter how tempting it might be to snatch Chihiro now and run into the tunnel, he had to resist the urge to do so.

Haku straightened up as they came to his destination; a small river hidden in the midst of the woods ran over stones, and the clear water reflected the sky perfectly. For an instant Haku forgot that he was with Chihiro, as he let go of her hand and ran to the water, splashing in it and laughing happily. He'd been away from a river so long that he hadn't realized how much he'd missed it until now.

He was in the middle of playing happily with the water when he suddenly remembered that Chihiro was still standing on the bank. Thinking she'd left, he turned to look for her when he saw that she was standing on the bank, doubled up with silent laughter.

"What's so funny?" Haku demanded as he marched out of the water, coming up to where Chihiro was gasping for breath as she wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.

"You look…like you're having so much fun!" she chortled, laughing harder as she remembered the happy expression he'd made as soon as he'd seen the water. Haku had looked so much like a kid that it was nearly impossible for her to not laugh; considering how serious he always was, it was a refreshing change to see such a cute expression on his face.

While Chihiro giggled, Haku pouted and crossed his arms saying, "I told you I'm a river spirit…I just missed the water a bit that's all…" When Chihiro didn't answer, Haku changed his pout to a grin as he grabbed her, causing her to shriek.

"H-hey! Put me down!" Chihiro shrieked, as Haku ran back to the river and dropped her in it. As she gasped at the cold temperature of the water, it was Haku's turn to laugh. Holding his sides, he pointed and said, "That was a great expression!"

He was so busy laughing that when he was hit by a splash of water, he blinked in shock before seeing that Chihiro had stood up and was smirking at him in a taunting manner. After a second, Haku grinned back and then launched his own attack, leaning down to splash water in her direction. When he completely drenched her left side, she shrieked as the water hit her before laughing and retaliating with a splash of her own.

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As the afternoon wore on, Chihiro and Haku lay side by side on the bank, drying off in the sun. Hand in hand, the two talked animatedly, both of them enjoying themselves fully for the first time in awhile.

"Why the sad face?" Chihiro teased. "It's because I won that water fight, isn't it? You should stop pouting; I gave you a kiss didn't I?"

Haku rolled over so that he was facing her before he stuck his tongue out and replied, "You didn't win, I just slipped and fell into the river. It was just a miscalculation on my part. Besides, only one kiss won't be enough to satisfy me."

Chihiro just laughed and poked him, before closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of the sun's rays on her skin. Haku smiled as he watched her, before his eyes darted to her necklace and he cleared his throat.

He was about to say something when she said, "I wish we could do this every day. It's a lot of fun."

Closing his eyes, Haku said, "We COULD do this every day…if you came back with me." Chihiro hesitated, before letting go of his hand and turning over so that her back was to him.

"You're staying here…aren't you? You won't just… You won't just leave me, will you?"

Haku sighed, frowning as he said, "It doesn't work that way, Chihiro. I don't have any choice in the matter; I can't stay any longer than this magic allows. You need to make a choice."

Chihiro turned back to face him and was about to say something when noticed that Haku had become even more pale than usual.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked, suddenly concerned as she sat up and placed a hand on his forehead. Quickly she got up, saying, "You might have caught a cold from playing the river! Let's go home, you need to rest so you can go to school tomorrow!"

Haku didn't have the heart to argue, and silently he allowed Chihiro to pull him to his feet as the two took off towards the house.


	27. Chapter 26

It had been a week since that day at the river, and every day Haku seemed to grow paler. Chihiro couldn't understand it, and even though Haku himself insisted he was fine she worried nonetheless.

One morning, just as they were headed to the school Haku stopped for a moment, putting a hand to his head while Chihiro flitted around him anxiously. Kei and Akira had been walking slightly ahead, but when they turned around and saw that Haku and Chihiro had fallen behind the duo quickly ran back to their friends.

While Haku breathed feverishly and leaned against a wall, Chihiro grabbed a hold of his waist, trying to keep him standing up while she cried, "Haku! Haku, what's wrong?"

"I-I'm fine," Haku tried to reassure her, but when a spasm of pain shot through him he groaned and leaned more heavily on the wall as he began to sweat.

Kei stepped towards him, taking Chihiro's place and supporting him while Akira said, "Haku, you need to go home and rest…Chihiro can call a doctor to come see you, but you have to go home!"

Haku was all ready to argue when pain shot through him once more and he coughed, nearly hacking up blood as he found himself unable to stop. Feeling that he was on the verge of fainting, he looked at Chihiro and touched her cheek lightly, saying, "Chihiro, don't worry about me. Just promise me you'll go to school today, and in return I promise I'll stay at home and let the doctor examine me, okay?"

Before he could get her answer, he felt a slight pressure in his head and everything faded to black.

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That night, when Chihiro opened the door and lightly called Haku's name, she was alarmed to find that he didn't reply. In a panic, she kicked off her shoes and dashed up the stairs to the room Haku was staying, throwing open the door only to find that his bed was empty. Just as she was on the verge of really freaking out, Haku walked into the doorway in only a pair of jeans, a towel slung on his shoulders as he dried his wet hair.

"A-ah! Chihiro, you're home from work early today!" he said with a blush, immediately feeling embarrassed despite the fact that the two had been living in the same house together for several months now. Chihiro blushed too, looking away quickly as she put a hand to her chest.

"I just…I was worried when you didn't answer," she laughed lightly before getting up and going to walk past him. "I'll just let you change and then we can eat dinner and-"

Before she could pass him, Chihiro felt him grab her wrist. When she looked up at him, she saw that he was staring down at her with a serious expression on his face. The two stared at each other in silence before Chihiro looked away and stuttered, "Wha-what is it? Do you need something before I go?"

Haku's eyes narrowed, and his grip on Chihiro's wrist tightened. Quickly he pulled her back to his bed before letting go of her as she fell back on his bed. Standing over her, he leaned down and trapped her between his arms, saying low, "Chihiro, look me in the eye. Come on, Chihiro."

Avoiding his gaze, Chihiro felt her face heat up all over again as she stubbornly said, "What are you talking about, Haku? Are you feeling any better?"

With a growl, he leaned even closer and said, "Chihiro, you haven't looked me in the eye once since coming home. I listened to you and even let the doctor examine me today, so you shouldn't be mad at me. Why can't you look at me?"

At that, Chihiro trembled before pushing him off and yelling, "I don't know! I'm worried about you, okay!? You're sick, and I don't know how to fix it and I can't lose you! I can't afford to lose another person!"

Haku put a hand up to comfort her when Chihiro's eyes widened and she grabbed his hand, trembling even more.

"You're disappearing…" she whispered, as she held his hand up to the light. Haku grimaced and looked away, as if he had been trying to hide it from her. When Chihiro held his hand to the light and looked closely, she could faintly see through his hand to the ceiling.

The instant she realized it, she dropped his hand and backed away to the door, her hands in front of her as if to ward him off.

"What's happening to you…what…what is this…."

"I told you ages ago, Chihiro. I'm not human; I don't belong in this world. I have about a week left before I disappear completely. Do you believe me now when I say I'm from the Spirit World?"

As Chihiro stared at him in shock, she realized now that she had no choice BUT to believe his crazy words; all this time she'd been agreeing she hadn't fully committed to the idea, but the fact that she had just seen through his hand was pretty hard to ignore. She was so busy staring at him that she tripped and fell backwards, nearly hitting her head on the wall before looking up and seeing a concerned Haku had rushed forward as if to catch her.

Backing away all the more, she asked slowly, "You have…a week?"

Haku nodded, affirming the statement and causing pain to ripple through Chihiro's chest as she thought of no longer being able to see him.

Haku not existing? The idea was impossible in itself to Chihiro; already he had become such a vital part of her life, regardless of the fact that she could still barely remember him and the life she once lived. As if to add to her confusion, Haku knelt down and took one of her hands in his, kissing it lightly as he smiled at her and said, "Remember what I asked you at Christmas? I'd like an answer very soon, Chihiro. I won' t be here much longer, and if you want to come back with me now is your last chance."

Shaking her head, Chihiro let her hand slip out of his as she said, "But, my mother…Akira and Kei…how can I just leave them behind?"

Haku stood up, a sad smile on his face as he backed into the bedroom. Just before he shut the door, he said quietly, "I won't force you into anything, you know that. But please remember; you have a family waiting for you in the Spirit World as well." With that, he closed the door, leaving Chihiro staring after him as she sat powerless in the dark hallway.

* * *

**Seeing is believing, right? **

**Hmmm. It's getting close. XD Actually, I've already planned and mapped everything out, but unfortunately I will not be able to post for awhile. Road trips, while fun, can be SO overrated. I do NOT appreciate being someone's pillow to drool on, let me tell you that XD But yeah, you'll all have to wait a bit before I put up more chapters, so please be patient!**

**On a side note, please please PLEASE remember to let me know whether or not you'd read a Howl/Kiki best friend story! So far I've only had one person interested in it, so I'm seriously debating whether or not to even go down that road XD**

Well, I think that's everything. Until next time, thanks for all the reads and reviews! :) You guys are the best! :)


	28. Chapter 27

"Whoa, Chihiro what happened to you? Are you okay?" Akira worried the next day at school as she observed her friend. Not only was Chihiro even more pale than usual, but her smile was absent as she brooded, staring out the window with a painful expression on her face. Yesterday, the doctor had assured the friends that Haku would be fine after a good day's rest in bed; so why was Chihiro still worried? Frowning, Akira leaned in closer.

"Huh?" she said, snapping out of her daze when Akira tapped her lightly. With a sigh, her friend flopped into a nearby chair and stared at Chihiro, tapping her notebook where Chihiro had filled it with strange pictures instead of the notes they were supposed to be taking for class.

"I may not be the smartest," Akira started, "But I do know when something's bothering you. Come on, Chihiro, you can tell me whatever it is. Kei and I will be here to help you; we promised we'd always look after you, didn't we?"

Hearing her friend's words, Chihiro gave a little smile before looking down at her notebook and tracing a finger over the drawing of the dragon she'd made once more.

"I know," she replied quietly, as Kei came up behind Akira and put his hands on her shoulders. "I know you guys will take care of me…but what if I went somewhere and you guys could never see me again?"

Kei tilted his head, confused as he asked, "What? Chihiro, what are you talking about? If it's about moving in with your grandparents, it's not so far that Akira and I can't visit from time to time."

Chihiro shook her head before looking down at her desk, avoiding their gazes as she said, "What if…I disappeared with Haku?"

At that, Akira's eyes widened and Kei gripped her shoulder a little tighter before he let go and sighed, knocking his head and looking out the window with a frown. Leaning forward, Akira took her friend's hand and whispered, "You're not…eloping are you?"

Such an idea brought a smile to Chihiro's face before she shook her head again, the smile fading as she replied, "Not eloping…just going somewhere else. What if I did that?"

Her friends fell silent for a minute before Akira laughed awkwardly, trying to clear the strange mood that had fallen over the three of them.

"What are you talking about Chihiro?" Akira laughed, avoiding her friend's eyes as she did so, "You're just daydreaming again. Why don't we go visit your mom today, and you can tell her more stories about us?"

Chihiro closed her eyes, smiled, and stood up before looking at her friends again with a mysterious smile.

"Yeah," she said, "I think I'll go visit my mom today. But Akira…" Both her friends watched as she walked past them, already half way through the door as she called over her shoulder, "Today…I'd rather go alone."

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Chihiro took a deep breath before pushing the door open. When she was once again greeted by the familiar sight of her mom sitting listlessly in bed, she sighed and walked over to the stool that stood next to it. Rather than sitting down right away, she cleared her throat loudly to catch her mom's attention and said, "Hello, Mom. I came alone today."

She wasn't surprised when her mom didn't respond, not even turning her head to face her daughter. Quietly, Chihiro sat down in the stool and took another deep breath before she began to talk.

"I've no stories for you today," she began, "But instead I've something to ask you. What would you do if I stopped visiting?"

Her mother twitched, then slowly turned her head. For the first time since her mother had woken up, Chihiro found herself looking straight into her mother's eyes. The black eyes which met her own were vacant, devoid of any emotion or feelings.

It was like looking into a bottomless well.

Chihiro shuddered, then composed herself and continued, saying, "Someone important to me will disappear soon…and I've a choice. I can either go with him, and leave everything here behind, or stay here and let him go by himself. I'm asking you now; what would you do if I never came again?"

For a second, Chihiro saw something glimmer in her mother's eyes before it disappeared and went back to being vacant. Slowly, her mother turned her face away once more, as if to say 'I don't care. What you do has nothing to do with me.' Gritting her teeth, Chihiro stood up and bowed one last time.

"I understand. Good-bye then, Mom. Please take care of yourself."

As Chihiro slid the door shut behind her, she failed to notice that her mother's body was shaking and trembling, the way one's body does when they cry.

A single tear rolled down the mother's face, before she closed her eyes and fell asleep.


	29. Chapter 28

"Hey Haku?" Chihiro asked as she curled up on the couch, resting her head on her knees while Haku sat by the window, tracing patterns on the glass. At Chihiro's question, he turned to look at her before smiling and saying, "Yeah?"

"Why did you faint the other day, when we were on the way to school? If you're just disappearing, shouldn't your body be completely fine and in good health still?"

Haku laughed a little before holding his hand up, wincing slightly another spasm of pain shot through his chest.

"The physics of the Spirit World and the human world don't really work that way. It's really complicated, but basically my body is slowly turning back into that of a spirit's, so to try and occupy a human body is painful."

Chihiro looked up, frowning as she noted that he was even more transparent than before.

"When will…How much longer do you think…" Chihiro brought a hand up to her mouth, unable to get the words out as she shivered and clutched her knees tighter to her chest. Haku, knowing what was eating at her, got up and walked over to her, saying, "Three days. Three days, and I won't be here anymore. You can come with me, Chihiro. You still have some time to decide."

He reached out to touch her, but when his hand went through her he made a 'tch' noise and sat down on the floor, pouting.

"This sucks." He moped like a little kid, and Chihiro looked at him confused as she asked ,"What sucks?"

Looking away and biting the inside of his cheek, Haku complained, "I can't even touch you anymore. I'll be really sad if I have to go back alone and can't even get a proper good-bye kiss from you."

Chihiro looked away then, flustered as she said, "I…I never said I was planning on staying. I really want to go with you, you know."

Haku lit up at her words, before a frown painted his face and he looked at her crossly. He wished more than ever that he could poke her in the forehead for emphasis as he said, "You're not saying that whole-heartedly, though. You don't fool me Chihiro; you want to come along, but you're still too reluctant to leave this world behind. You can't come with me unless you're willing to completely give up on this world, and to never look back. Can you do that?"

She bit her lip, before standing up abruptly and saying, "I'd better go to bed. It's getting late, and you still want me to go to school, don't you?"

Still pouting, Haku crossed his arms before sinking onto the couch, muttering, "Yeah. I want you to grasp as much of this world as possible, because if you do come with me you'll never get to see it again. I want you remember at least this much." At the cold tone in his voice, Chihiro shuddered before excusing herself and heading up the stairs quickly. As her door shut behind her, Haku sighed and threw his hands in the air exasperatedly before looking at them, feeling even more anxious as they grew more and more transparent. At this point, he couldn't even clutch the amulet around his neck for comfort.

"Why do I feel like the bad guy here?" Haku growled to himself, before curling up in a ball and leaning his head to his knees.

"I don't know anymore. I don't know."

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The next day at school, while Chihiro ate her lunch in a solitary manner by the window, Akira all but dragged Kei out of the classroom and to the rooftop. Once the two were sure they were alone, Akira screamed in frustration before kicking the building.

"Kicking and screaming isn't going to solve anything you know," Kei said crossly, picking at his food before giving up on it entirely. Ever since Chihiro had said something about disappearing with Haku, Kei found that he hadn't had much of an appetite. Sure, he was trying to get over his feelings for her, but it was all too soon for Chihiro to be making sudden declarations like THAT.

Akira, unlike Kei, had become even more emotional since Chihiro's words. It had been especially trying for her, as it had been the first time that Chihiro had ever insisted on visiting her mother alone. What made things worse was that Akira felt as if she could do nothing for her friend, and somehow Akira got the feeling Chihiro was really going to disappear very soon.

She was about to go on kicking at the building when Kei cleared his throat and said loudly, "Do you really think she'll do it?"

Turning her head slowly towards Kei, Akira looked at him as if she couldn't believe his words as a she said in a scary voice, "WHAT?"

Kei flinched a bit at her manner before leaning against the railing and looking down at the grounds while he replied, "I'm asking you. Do you think she'd just…up and leave like that? With some guy she barely knows?"

Akira bit her lip before flopping down on the ground in defeat. As she hugged her knees to her chest, she said, "I don't know. I mean, I'm her best friend and I've known her for seven years now…but lately she's been so different that I can't even tell you what I think she'll do anymore and be positive about it."

Kei was about to say more when Akira spoke again, her voice quivering while she hid her face in her knees.

"What am I going to do if she disappears? I'll feel responsible and even more than that how am I supposed to live with myself knowing that I did nothing to stop her?"

As he watched Akira rock back and forth, Kei's eyes softened and he walked over to her, reaching down to pat her reassuringly on the head. The two fell silent, both of them absorbed in their thoughts. After a few minutes, Kei spoke again.

"Should we try and keep her then?"

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me like you have no idea what I'm talking about. You know perfectly well what I asked. Should we keep her with us, or let her do whatever it is she wants?"

Akira peeked up to see a resolute look on Kei's face. With a sigh, Akira closed her eyes tightly before standing up and saying, "We can't hold her back, Kei. Both of us have known that from the beginning. But then why…?"

As she found herself unable to finish her own sentence, Kei bit the inside of his cheek and reached out, wrapping his arms around her as he voiced their thoughts.

"Why is it so painful, if we've known it all along?"

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**Yes, these chapters just seem more and more depressing but it can't be helped :( After all, while she's coming to terms with the fact that she has to make this choice, her mother is pretending not to care and her friends don't want to lose her yet they both know that they can't do anything because she'll find a way to slip off anyways. Everyone's all angsty and worried about someone else XD**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and reviewing, until the next update! :)**


	30. Chapter 29

She had one day left. One day.

Chihiro hadn't expected it to come so quickly, and when she rolled over that morning instead of getting up right away she lay in bed and stared at the wall. How could she choose between two halves of herself?

She belonged with Haku; even she knew that much, as the thought of him disappearing made her heart ache and throb painfully. Yet, when she pictured leaving behind all that she knew and taking a blind leap of faith to be with Haku, she couldn't bear thinking about the sorrow she knew she'd leave with her friends.

Chihiro wanted to lay in bed all day and hide herself from all her problems when Haku's voice drifted through the door. She froze and turned to stare at the door as his concerned voice called her name.

"Chihiro? Are you going to get up now?"

With a sigh, she sat up before calling back low, "I'm dressed, if you want to come in." Haku paused for a second, before stepping through the door. The transparency had gone to a whole new level; while he was still visible he could no longer touch anything at all without his hand drifting through.

When he saw Chihiro sitting up in bed, her hair a mess, Haku smiled and said quietly, "That's quite cute, you know. You really shouldn't tease me like this, Chihiro, it's not fair."

His words got a light blush out of her before she smiled back and swung her legs out of bed, her feet lightly touching the floor as she stood up and stretched. Looking at Haku, she was about to say something when he shook his head and nodded at her clock.

"It's about time you shower, isn't it? You can't miss school."

"But Haku-"

"I'm not going to disappear yet, Chihiro. I promise you that much. Even if I have to use all of my own magic abilities, I promise I'll still be here until tomorrow night. Now, go to school." Haku chided her, before turning and vanishing through the wall.

While Chihiro padded off towards the bathroom, Haku took a deep breath and held a hand to his head, grimacing. The pain was eating away at his stomach, but he knew that he couldn't let on that he was hurting. The thought of Chihiro choosing to be with him out of pity was something that Haku couldn't bear with. Another spasm of pain shot through his shoulder, and Haku slid to the ground and curled up, holding onto his clothes tightly as he clenched his teeth.

As soon as he heard the shower going, he allowed himself to a few moments of weakness, groaning as he gasped for air before retching, only to have nothing come up.

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That morning, Chihiro found herself in between Akira and Kei, both of whom were acting as if everything was the same as it had been before Haku had ever come into the picture. While the two laughed, they exchanged looks over her head before Akira finally spoke and said, "Chihiro, you're awfully quiet today. Is something wrong?"

Chihiro looked up at that, before smiling sadly and insisting, "No, no I'm fine. I've just…I've got a lot on my mind, that's all."

Kei's face darkened, knowing full well what Chihiro was thinking about. When Akira saw that Kei was close to bringing up the problem, she cleared her throat meaningfully and shot a look at Kei before saying, "Well, Chihiro, you know you can confide in us, right?"

With a light laugh, Chihiro linked arms with Akira and said, "Yes, I know." She then quieted for a second before lowering her voice as she said, "What do you do, when you can't choose between two very important things?"

Akira frowned, knowing what Chihiro was alluding to before she sighed and said, "I think about which choice would benefit me more in the end. And I think about how my life will be reflected depending on the choice I make, and I decide from there."

Throwing his bag over his shoulder, Kei said flatly, "If I think I'll regret something, I just think about whichever choice will be best for everyone in the end." He didn't say it, Akira knew that Kei was talking about what had happened over break. Like Chihiro, he'd been forced to choose between two important people, and in the end he'd made the decision to be Akira because he knew that otherwise he'd never be able to move on and be happy.

As the school approached, the two friends looked reluctantly at each other before they all stepped onto the ground in silence.

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**What's this? The ending is approaching rapidly on the horizon? D: I'm actually really sad to say that the next few chapters will be the last of this story, so brace yourselves for what's to come!**

Anyways, until next time! Thanks for all the reads and reviews!


	31. Chapter 30

On the way home from school that day, Chihiro was all set to head back to her house when she felt herself stopped by Akira's hand.

"Chihiro," her friend said cheerfully, "Let's play today."

Chihiro blinked in surprise, knowing that the two of them had been planning on another date that afternoon. In a confused voice, she asked, "Play?"

Akira giggled as Kei came up behind her and knocked her on the head. "Yeah, the three of us. Like old times!" Akira said enthusiastically, already pulling Chihiro along while Kei followed up behind them, grumbling about having to foot the bill.

They were halfway to the station when Chihiro tugged her hand out of her friend's grasp and said, "But wait, weren't you two going to spend today together? And besides that, why do you want to play so suddenly? We can go out another time, but I want to spend what time I have left with Haku…"

Chihiro fell silent as both her friends dropped their smiles. The three stood in awkward silence until Akira spoke. Avoiding her friend's gaze as she stared at the ground, Akira said, "I want to go out today, Chihiro. Won't you have plenty of time to spend with Haku, wherever it is you two are going?"

As Chihiro blinked in shock, she burst out, "But wait, I haven't said that I was going with him-"

"You don't have to." Kei said, moving closer to Akira as he threw a comforting arm around her shoulders. He shot a glance at Akira, before turning to face Chihiro with a big smile. "We all know that you want to go with him-so we're letting you go. But not without you spending some time with us first."

Tears welled up in Chihiro's eyes as she watched her friend's, the two of them giving her loving smiles as she burst into tears and ran to hug them.

She'd never been more thankful for the two of them than she had at that moment, for they'd given her the answer that she'd been circling around for so long.

She was going with Haku.

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The two of them stood in front of the decaying tunnel, Chihiro shivering as a pulse of familiarity swept through her from head to toe. It was Haku's last day, and Chihiro knew without a doubt that he'd be gone by the time night fell.

Already, he was so transparent that one could mistake him for a ghost.

While they stood, observing the tunnel, Chihiro desperately wished that Haku could really hold her hand. The strange feeling that was emanating from the dark awning had her on edge, and she clutched at her shirt tightly before taking a small step towards the entry.

Haku shot her a concerned look before saying, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Chihiro replied resolutely, her hands closed into fists as she gave her answer. Haku smiled, before his expression lapsed into one of seriousness as he said, "Good. Because you have to promise me something."

"Promise?"

"Yes. Promise me that no matter what, while we are passing through this tunnel, you WILL NOT look back."

Chihiro was silent for a moment before asking, "Why?"

"If you look back, it will reflect any desire you have to remain in the human world, and thus you will not be able to pass through with me. So you can't turn back at all, understand?"

"…I understand."

Haku smiled, and held his hand out to her despite the fact that he knew he couldn't physically touch her just yet.

"Ready?" he asked, and Chihiro opened her eyes in that instant as she reached back for his hand.

"Ready."

She took two steps towards the tunnel, before she took another, and another, each step faster than the last. Soon she was running, and as she sprinted into the darkness with Haku at her side she felt something inside her break free.

It was as if the bottle of her memories had finally burst. The images fell in a dazzling array about her while she ran through the dark tunnel, flashing at her in a tempting manner as if telling her to turn around.

But Chihiro did not falter.

As light from the other side of the tunnel met her gaze, she gave a cry of joy as she remembered what awaited her. Just as she was to reach it she found herself looking at a memory of her family. Her father laughed indulgently, patting her on the head while her mother smiled at her.

The girl that Chihiro found herself looking at, was none of other than her ten year old self.

Chihiro faltered for a moment as she watched the memory, before it faded into a different scene. She saw the girl, in her too big white and green t-shirt running from the bathouse, with Haku holding her hand.

"_Will we ever see each other again?" _Chihiro heard her ten-year-old self ask, the voice distorted as it bounced around the dark space. She watched as Haku's smaller form smiled and replied, _"We will. I'm sure of it. I promise."_

"You promised…huh?" Chihiro said, smiling as she watched her memory fade into a different one. With that, she turned her back to the images and burst into the light that awaited her on the other side.

For a second she found herself blinded by the radiance and warmth that greeted her, before she blinked and saw a sea of grass and boulders emerge in her vision. And there, not five feet from her, was Haku, with a gentle smile on his face.

In a soft voice, he held out his hand and said, "You've kept me waiting for so long, Chihiro."

She found herself at a loss for words, before she ran to meet him, throwing her arms around him as soon as she felt herself collide into him. Haku laughed, and held her close before kissing her on the forehead and whispering in her ear, "Welcome home, Chihiro."


	32. Epilogue

_EPILOGUE_

Kei hesitated as he passed the worn down house. He couldn't help it; habits were hard to get rid of, and this one in particular was a terrible one. Not that Akira would ever blame him for it. She too would pause as they passed the house.

It couldn't be helped that it had once belonged to someone very dear to them both.

With a sigh, Kei shook his head and turned to look at his own house, smiling as he heard his son yelling from the yard. It was a sign that told Kei he had some time to reminisce, and Kei took it willingly as he stepped up to the old house's path.

Softly closing the gate behind him, Kei walked up the path towards the house, smiling as he recalled that frozen night ten years ago when emotions had been running so high. It was on that night that he'd not only gotten confessed to himself, but had also confessed to Chihiro.

As much as he hated to admit it, he could now easily say that all along he'd known Chihiro was going to reject him. Kei had never stood a chance, especially against a mysterious boy from the past. Settling down on a nearby stump, Kei looked up at the house and remembered the two of them.

When he closed his eyes, he first saw Haku. How he'd hated him; not only for stealing away Chihiro, but for seeming so sure of everything in his life, like nothing was out of place. Kei had never liked it when someone was more confident than him, which was why he'd never liked Haku until the very end. He'd hated the fact that he had covered for him when the police had come asking if he had any clues as to the disappearance of Chihiro.

Dismissing Haku from his mind, Kei allowed his thoughts to seek out an image far more precious to him; Chihiro. In his mind's eye, he saw again her beaming smile and pink cheeks, her black eyes always sparkling with a story to tell or a far off look of someone who lives in a dreamland. It had been that look which had attracted him so in the first place, although now he found it ironic that he had married Akira with all her logic and the seriousness that she had grown into after college. While he did love her so, Kei found that he'd never seen such a dreamy look on his wife's face. No, that look had seemed to be Chihiro's alone.

When a rustle was heard, Kei's eyes snapped open and he looked around at the abandoned garden, wondering who could possibly be there. He stood up as he heard another rustle, and he was all set to punish whoever it was for coming to vandalize the property when he found himself staring at a young girl.

She looked to be about eight or nine, as she wasn't very tall and was quite skinny. Her skin was pale, the color of new snow, and it matched well with her long, dark hair. The closer Kei looked at her, he realized that her hair was a dark blue; and an all too familiar shade at that. He was about to question her when she turned a pair of intelligent black eyes on him, her pink cheeks so very reminiscent of Chihiro's that Kei gasped before clapping a hand over his mouth.

Willing himself to stay calm, he knelt down and asked gently, "Hello there. I am Tanaka Kei. Are you lost?"

The girl blinked, before a smile came over her face, and she seemed to recognize his name. Tugging a necklace out from underneath her shirt, she smiled even wider as Kei's face paled at recognition of the necklace; he'd only seen one like it before, and it had belonged to Chihiro. As he watched the little girl, she walked past him and stared up at the house before smiling once more.

"No," she finally answered him, in a light voice, "I've come home."

**_To Be Continued...?_**

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**The continuation of this story depends on how much time I'll have now that school's started again XD I would like to continue it, it's just that it might take awhile before I can get anything up (so like, a few weeks knowing my schedule).**

Anyways, that's just a side note. I wanted to thank everyone who's read this story for all the reviews and encouragements! It wouldn't have been possible without you guys :) I mean it! So, thank you once more and if you're interested in more stories (or the sequel to this one) feel free to check my profile! :)


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